fpring and foul of whofe every action, is the love of liberty and of their country," &c. p. 23. while documents much too authentic, give a directly oppofite defcription of that devoted country, and reprefent it as torn by internal diffentions, as fatal to its welfare as the combination of its enemies, expelling from its bofom all those whom confience has made tardy in the commiffion of crimes, and, under the banners of liberty, making a progrefs in tyranny, which the hiftory of defpots cannot equal. M. Raimbert's tranflator has ufed the liberty of amplifying his tranflation a little, which, however, we do not wish to deprive him of, as he has used it with difcretion. The following extract will give no unfavourable idea of this writer's talents and obfervation." Futile in their eyes was the objection, though fanctioned by hoary prejudice, that a republican fyftem was irreconcileable with a numerous population. But the hiftory of ancient and modern times prefented a host of examples, before which this idle chimæra fhrunk and disappeared. Federalifm alone they judged to contain whatever was found, fafe, and great. A more general opinion, however, became predominant; the example of a mixed government, permanent, and profperous for ages pait, in a neighbouring ifland; the idea of monarchy, ever fondly idolized by a French heart; the king deferted by his relations, and, alone, not deferting his country; all thefe various motives concurred to plead in a milder and more perfuafive voice, in favour of royalty. This fentiment funk more deeply, and infinuated itself more generally into the hearts of the nation. It at length triumphed, was adopted, proclaimed, and a temperate monarchy finally decreed. From this mo ment was difplayed throughout every corner of the kingdom the most delightful fpectacle that could attract the eyes of man: all the towns vied with each other in fanctioning with their applaufe and approbation this pact of union, which promifed to meet and gratify the wishes of all parties. Villages crowded together to fhare the general joy, and neighbours congratulated each other on the glorious day; and that amiable fex, whofe foft perfuafive eye feems lighted by heaven to look mankind into perfection, cheerfully contributed the magic of their charms, and the labour of their hands, to edify an altar to Liberty in the Champ de Mars. That was the glorious theatre on which a whole people, linked together by the heart-embracing bonds of fraternity, folemnly fwore in the face of heaven and of earth, to maintain that liberty, or to die in its defence. It was from thence that this people withdrew, each returning to his domeftic hearth, peacefully to enjoy that happinefs which his hopes whispered him to expect. But foon fumed away thofe fond hopes, the empty vapour of their wishes!" p. 11.

DIVINITY,

ART. 31. Effays on felect Parts of the Hiftorical and Prophetical Books of the Old Teftament. London, 4to. 4s. J. Johnson.

The author of this work thinks it neceffary to intimate, that he was not bred to the facred profeffion, and that he is not deeply verfed in rheological

theological works. He publifhed, in 1786, a Free Enquiry into the Vifion of the Seventy Weeks of Daniel, in which, contrary to the general current of interpretation, he confiders the weeks as weeks of days. In his firft Effay on fcriptural allegories, he reprefents the formation of Eve from the rib of Adam as a moral tale, like that of the platonic account of the formation of man. In the fecond, he attempts to allegorize the Hiftory of the Fall, and confiders the temptation as the fuggeftion of incontinence. He imagines that the bruifing of the head of the feed of incontinence, alludes to the ftoning of adulterers. He further reprefents the diflocation of Jacob's thigh by a touch of God to be figurative. The ftory of Balaam, as well as that of Sampfon and Delilah, to be an inftructive fable; conceives that the fire by which Elijah deftroyed the companies of fifty, imports only the intimidating effects of his anger; and that his conveyance to Heaven indicates his fine phrenzy, and exftatic emotions. He farther fubmits to the reader an interpretation founded on the notion that the wonders recorded in the Book of Exodus, may be confidered as history locked up in deep allegory. All thefe accounts not only tend to fuperfede the first and obvious meaning of the facred book, but lead to debafe its character from a true and inftructive hiftory of a miraculous government to a collection of crude and idle tales. The interpretations offered are forced and jejune, and have not the merit of the allegorical fancies of ancient commentators, which generally at least prefented us with ingenious and inftructive morals. Our author goes on (and we are condemned to follow him in his flights) to difpute whether Gen. xii. ch. 1, " And in thee fhall all the nations of the earth be bleffed," be a prophetic intimation of the Meffiah; and upon the fame conceits, rejects fimilar fucceeding prophecies. He afferts, that if feed were to be limited to a fingle perfon, it would be applicable with great propriety to Solobut why, we do not fee, except as to a type of Chrift, in which character alone the paffages felected are applicable to him. The exprefs appropriation of the paffage by St. Paul, to Christ, Gal. iii. ch. 16, is ftyled by our author "Rabbinical reasoning, which a rational divine will fcarce think valid, but rather fuppofe," fays our acute commentator, “ Argumentum ad hominem." Of a rational divine who fhould difpute the interpretation of St. Paul, we have no diftinct apprehenfion. Our author would tear up faith by the roots, and he invalidates the pretenfions of Mofes, Joshua, and David, to their refpective works, difputes the application of the prophecies in the 52d and 53d chapters of Ifaiah, as neither literally nor typically applicable to Chrift, and reprefents the ftone, which fmote the feet of the image in Daniel, to fignify the power of Jehovah, invifible, exerted in deftroying the fourth kingdom of Syria and Egypt. The work is fhallow and dogmatical, and its wild and extravagant fancies tend to undervalue the infpiration of Scripture, and we are forry to fee the little learning which the author poffeffes employed to depreciate the authority of the facred writings.

mon;

ART.

ART. 32. Infidelity the caufe of National Calamity: A Sermon preached in the Parish Church of Wifbech St. Peter, on the late General Faft: by Samuel Dewe, A. M. Curate of Wisbech, and late of Trinity and Baliol Colleges, Oxford. 1s. White, Wisbech; Rivingtons, London. This is a very refpectable performance. In it's matter, it is found and good; in ftyle and manner, it is animated and correct.

The preacher ftates, that the immediate occafion of the 14th Pfalm is by moft writers agreed to be, the revolt of Ifrael in Abfalom's rebellion; and that it's spiritual fenfe denotes the general apoftacy of both Jew and Gentile, in an unregenerate ftate, from the true God. He proceeds to confider the predifpofing caufe of this revolt of Ifrael, viz. Infidely, or Atheism: Pf. xiv. v. 1. "The fool hath faid in his heart, there is no God." The means employed, to foment the rebellion, are then stated; and the engaging, infinuating, profeffing character of Abfalom, is defcribed with judgment and ingenuity. The final confequences of the rebellion are afterwards briefly fet forth. The inferences fuitable to the occafion of the day, are juftly deduced. And the whole difcourfe fhews a claffical tafte, united with a commendable degree of theological learning.

ART. 33. Hopes and Expectations grounded on the prefent Situation of the Emigrant Members of the Roman Catholic Church, now refident in England. 8vo. Is. Faulder.

The object of this pamphlet is of the greatest importance; it relates to a concern which has interefted the attention of the moderate and reflecting members of our Church, from the Reformation to the prefent day; and it propofes fome reflections which never could be brought forth more feasonably, to thofe to whom they are fuggefted: "A defire to promote a reunion in the Western Church prevailed," as the author obferves, "fo strongly in the laft age, that fome good and zealous men ftrained every point of compliance and accommodation, till they reached the very verge of thofe errors which they really detefted ;" and it may be added, that a popular and current tendency to a reconciliation, appears fometimes to lead its advocates to forget the effential points of difference, in doctrines which ftill fubfift. The author of this judicious and benevolent pamphlet, while he opens a rational profpect of the establishment of fome terms of mutual forbearance and charity, that may ultimately open to us a reconciliation, feems by no means difpofed to relinquifh any of those important points of doctrine, which produced the feparation between the churches; he prefumes rather that the very charitable and Chriftian kindness, exerted towards the members of the Romish Church, may lead them to liften favourably to what may be ftiled in justification of the principles maintained by their benefactors, and is inclined "to indulge the hope that the fair pattern of our practice and worfhip in the Church of England, may operate to induce them to trace once more the grounds upon which that church reformed itself." Upon this idea, he very earnestly calls upon them "to enter into a ferious and fevere investigation, whether the most eager adverfaries

of

of our church, have ever been able to fix the charge of herefy upon us with any fhew or colour," "whether they could ever make good and prove against us one point of deviation from the fundamental truths of Christianity," whether they could ever fhew one wrong definition in our mode of commenting (on) the Catholic Creed;" and entreats, that as "thofe who are converfant in the controverfies which have been held between us, must well know that they cannot fupport, by any folid proof, that bitter and uncharitable cenfure, they would let the prefent intercourse of kindness at least prevail with them, either at this moment of their refidence among us, or when God fhall bestow a peaceful fettlement upon them (for which hour we pray with full fincerity) to make one advance to real harmony and good-will; and whatever be the fate of other matters in difpute between us, to renounce that unjuft and groundless allegation." This is fpecifically pointing out the best and most probable mode of paving the way, by preliminary ftipulations to reconciliation; it is fuggefting a removal of that caufe of averfion, fufpicion, and fear, which often interrupts the happiness of domeftic life, which alienates the affections, and embitters the dearest connection of fociety; and it is especially incumbent " on those of our own country, who adhere to the Romish Perfuafion, to urge the perfecuted ftrangers, whom they now harbour with peculiar tenderness, to examine whether the prejudice which has fo long fubfifted, be not groundless, unjuft, and derived only from the Bull of Pope Pius the Vth." The pamphlet is written with great candour, it fuggefts only by way of hint what we fhould be glad to see most fully stated, and circumftantially detailed. The author feems to be ultimately acquainted with the fubject; he accurately difcriminates the fhades of difference which have exifted, and ftill exift, in the doctrine of the atonement, but defignedly omits to enlarge on other controverted points, in which we are at a distance from the Church of Rome: the very mention of fome of which he deems fufficient for their refutation, and which he alludes to, only in the hope in which we earnestly join, that the revifal of them may be undertaken not by us only, but by those who have too long contended for them. The author, we think, will do well to take the lead in this enquiry; the information which he appears to poffefs, feems as peculiarly to qualify him for the task, as the benevolence and moderation of his ftyle would lead us to expect fuccess from the undertaking.

We hope that the pamphlet, which is very fhort, though we have thought it deferving full notice, will be tranflated and circulated among the Emigrants.

ART. 34. Thirteen Letters on various Religious Subjects, recommended to the jerious Attention of devont Members of the Church of England. London, printed for the Author, at the Literary Press, No. 62, Wardour-ftreet. 1793. 8vo. 25.

This author begins his introduction by faying, "the following Letters being chiefly collected from various authors, the publisher affumes no merit in the arrangement of them." We conceive he means only to fay, that the fubftance or matter was fo collected, not

the Letters themselves as they ftand, which we do not recollect to have seen before. They have the appearance of being compiled from different fermons. The first and second Letters are on the Infufficiency of Reafon or natural Religion to make us acceptable to God: the third, fourth, and fifth, are on the Motives offered by the Gospel to cure the Depravity of our Souls: the fixth, on the dangerous State of Unbelievers; and the rest on fimilar fubjects of Chriftian edification. The whole tract appears to have been compiled with a fincere defire to do good, and with found judgment in most matters of faith, and, we think, may fafely be recommended to the perufal of Chriftians in general.

MISCELLANIES.

ART. 35. Advice to Seconds, or General Rules and Inftructions for all Seconds in Duels. By a late Captain in the Army. 8vo. Is. London, Cadell.

IS.

This is a very honeft gentleman; and if it fhould ever be our lot, which heaven forefend, to be engaged in a duel, we fhould choose him, of all people in the world, to be our fecond; for his first recom mendation to feconds is, to make up the quarrel; the next, that when the parties fire, they should stand as far from one another as may be. ART. 36. An Impartial History of the late Disturbances in Bristol, interSperfid with occafional Remarks: to which are added, a Lift of the killed, with the Verdicts returned by the Coroner's Inquest, and a Lift of the wounded, with their Ages, Defcriptions of their Wounds, c. By John Rofe. 4d. Bristol.

The circumftantial detail of the title page looks too much like the penny hiftories hawked about our ftreets, to claim much attention or confidence. The public is already in poffeffion of the facts which are here related; whether the toll on the Bristol bridge should have been continued or withdrawn, we are not competent to decide: of one thing we are very certain, that the magiftrates will be juftified by all candid people in their legal exertions to repel and discountenance feditious affemblies.

ART. 37. The Fugitive of Folly, intended as a Representative Sketch of the Progress of Error, from Youth to Manhood, in a Miniature of Manners, with Hints for the Regulation of the Police, &c. &c. By Tho mas Thoughtlefs, junior, Efq. Adams.

Thefe are the well-meant effufions of a perfon profeffing himself to have fuffered from the arts which he defcribes as practifed in London, on the inexperience of young men of expectations. They are produced with a view to guard youth against the dangers which affail them, by examples drawn from modern manners. The author exhibits a detail of fome iniquitous contrivances practifed by money-lenders to the ruin of many; and endeavours, by a difplay of the confequence of indifcre tion, to inforce the maxim, that prudence and economy are the great if not the only fafeguards of virtue, and that prodigality and intemperance are the parents of mifery and vice. He juftly afferts, that it may be taken as a principle, that every life commenced or continued in diffipation and extravagance, terminates in want and forrow. The defign is good, and is executed with fome fpirit and vivacity,