under the command of this heroine,the cities and villages which arofe in arms against the foreign ufurper, were these the no"bility? On the other hand, the nobility, which invited the English; the duke of Burgundy, who inflamed the different parties; the bishop of Beauvais, who deftroyed the deliverer of Charles the Seventh,-are thefe the people?'

In this noble animated ftyle our veteran author proceeds; and he is equally eager in defence of the French foldiers. Let us tranfcribe one anecdote more:

Come forward French grenadiers-fhow yourselves to our princes, without impudence, and without fear! Their bravery will lead them to attend to yours. Tell your exploits, your fieges, your battles, and your phrafes, fuperior often to the bon mots of Greece and Rome. I remember, great prince! that one day an anecdote of a grenadier was related in your prefence, who seeing by his fide a young officer, yet a child, faid to his comrade" This child cannot follow us, put him on my back: if there is a bullet in the way, I may guard him from it."

We have not proceeded beyond the dedication: the Memoir itfelf is not at prefent equally interefting. We would have enlarged on it; but, it is too late'-Thefe words, fimple in themfelves, are now enobled they decided the freedom of the Belgic provinces, if their freedom can be faid to be yet decided. The chains of fuperftition are riveted; the bonds of aristocracy hang over them: are thefe the first fruits of liberty?

MONTHLY CATALOGUE.

CORPORATION and TEST-ACTS. WHILE the great Queftion was determining before its proper Tribunal, we felt it a difficult and a delicate task to examine the different Publications on the subject; fince in appreciating the literary merit of each Work, we fhould unavoidably join our own Opinions; and their appearance, almoft at the Moment of Deliberation, might appear prefumptuous and indecent. As the Queftion would not probably rest with the prefent Determination, little would be loft by the Delay; and the Decifion of the Houfe of Commons would either give a respectability to our Obfervations, if concurring with them; or, if otherwife, would make us more diffident and careful. But we muft proceed in our Review of the different Works, which we have arranged according to their Party, beginning with thofe in favour of the Repeal, as the : Claimant has a right to be' first attended to.

The Rights of Proteftant Diffenters to a complete Toleration asserted; containing an Hiftorical Account of the Teft Laws. Third Edition. 8vo. 15. 6d. Johnson.

F we were to engage in a controverfy we fhould confider this author in the first and most diftinguished rank of combatants, fince he pursues the fubject hiftorically, with great ingenuity. In our fituation, it is only neceffary to obferve, that, while we give him full credit for his erudition and ability, we think he' reafons loosely and inconclufively. When the corporation and teft acts, for instance, were first framed, he argues, and with accuracy, that they were defigned to exclude Papifts only; but, at this time, he allows, that the Prefbyterians had not a distinct and feparate mode of worship, and that they did not refufe partaking of the facrament in the church. What is the fair inference from this fact? that the corporation and test acts were not levelled at Diffenters, as they then appeared, but are applicable to them in their prefent fituation, when they refufe to communicate with the church. Again. In examining the expediency of a repeal, he dwells much on the revocation of the edict of Nantes, without confidering that the circumftances are in no refpect fimilar. The fituations of the Protestant Diffenters is by no means difagreeable: they have every liberty that they can defire, except the eligibility to fome offices, which many among them confider as a relief, rather than a burthen. If, as our author contends, the pains and penalties may still be inflicted, for many acts are still unrepealed, we may obferve, that, to enforce any of thefe obnoxious acts would at once fecure to the Diffenters their chief with; they would be immediately repealed, unless the temper and wisdom of the fuperior courts fhould blunt the arrow and make it fall harmless to the ground. In this cafe they could no longer appear formidable. The propriety and advantage of repealing these acts are not well fupported, unless, as we have heard it threatened, the Diffenters were to emigrate. But we believe it would be the first emigration on account of not being able to obtain the office of an • exciseman,'' tide-waiter," or even that of a justice of the peace. On the whole, we think this a very able performance, though by no means entitled to the high commendations be ftowed on it by carl Stanhope.

Letter to a Nobleman, containing Confiderations on the Laws relative to Diffenters, and on the intended Application to Parliament for the Repeal of the Corporation and Teft Acts. 8o. 35.

Cadell.

If we except a few attacks on churchmen and the conduct of the bishops, this Letter is written with apparent candour. The fubject is pursued at length, and the author is decidedly of opinion, that the Diffenters' claim is a proper one, and deferves the favourable notice of parliament. The hiftorical part is chiefly taken from the work which we mentioned in the first article, and various arguments of different force and value are

connected with fome skill and propriety. As we cannot examine very minutely any one work, we must collect the different arguments from the fucceffive publications, either as they are enforced with peculiar energy, or conducted with particu lar fuccefs.

In the beginning of this Letter, the author urges the examples of France, America, and of Ireland; but we fufpect that neither inftance is peculiarly applicable. In France, defpotifm was founded, in part, on hierarchy, and the church fup. ported the extraordinary claims of the monarch; it is not furpriting that they fell together, particularly in thofe enlightened and fceptical times, when the fplendid fhows of fuperftitious mummery were feen in their proper light; and when, with its ornaments, the real fabric of religion was fhaken. America is not a more favourable inftance for his caufe. In a country compofed of inhabitants fo diffimilar, it is not eafy to afcertain what thould be the national religion, and fo fceptical, particu larly in the fouthern ftatcs, as to be indifferent about any. Ireland is in the fituation of England, at the period when we think the repeal would have been peculiarly proper: at the time of George I. when it required the united force of the Church and the Diflenters to counterballance, with fuccefs, the active efforts of the Catholics and Papists; when the Diffenters had not difplayed thofe republican and afpiring principles, which have fince been manifefied by fome of their literary advocates.

Much of our author's argument is vague and inapplicable; nor would it require great labour to follow him carefully and to oppofe him in every step. When he asks, for instance, why fhould the test be continued, which binds only the confcientious, and is no reftraint on the libertine and infidel, it is eafy to fee, that no teft could be contrived that would not be attended with a fimilar inconvenience; and that the argument reverts to the original question, whether any test is proper? Would our author reject the employment of oaths, because fome wicked men have been perjured?-But we have already betowed more time on this work than it deferves; we must proceed to other publications.

An Enquiry into the Principles of Toleration. By Jofeph Fornes. To which is prefixed an Introductory Preface, containing fome Account of the Author. By A. Kippis, D.D. F.R. S. 8vo. 25. 6d. Longman.

We paid our tribute of commendation to this candid and able author in our XXXIV. volume, p. 393. The Enquiry is now republished with great propriety, and we could have wifhed that the different authors in this controverfy had imbibed more of Mr. Fownes' mild and liberal fpirit. In the fhort life prefixed to this effay, Dr. Kippis has expreffed his furprize and concern at the phantom of danger that has been raised by the attempt. We regret the unfortunate occurrence as much as

Dr.

Dr. Kippis, for it has raifed a florm, and diffeminated anger, difcontent, and difappointment. There certainly was no danger in the attempt, except to the Diffenters, who, fince diftinctions have been taken away, have been gradually incor. porating with the Church. But, though we know not the evil magician who conjured up the phantom, we can easily trace his footsteps in various inflammatory refolutions; in the pointed ftigma aimed at the members who thould not vote for the repeal; and an almoft explicit ave.val from fome of the Diffenters, that this was only the first of a series of meafures intended to introduce farther innovations.

The Life of Mr. Fownes is written with Dr. Kippis's ufual candour and ability. He was a diffenting minifter at Shrewfbury, distinguished chiefly by his knowledge, his benevolence, and his piety.

Curfory Reflections on the Policy, Juftice, and Expediency of Repealing the Teft and Corporation Acts. By W. Briftow, Efq. 8vo. 15. 6d. Walter.

We can find little novelty in Mr. Briftow's Reflections, and they are profefiedly curfory and unconnected He is perhaps correct when he remarks, that, if the test laws were repealed, Diffenters would most likely in half a century be melted into the general mafs.'

Public Documents declaratory of the Principles of the Proteftant Diffenters. Showing that the Repeal of the Corporation and Teft Acts was earnestly defired by King William III. and King George 1. 8vo. 6d. Johnson.

The hiftorical account goes down fo far as the end of the reign of George I. It is probably correct; but we have already obferved, that these favourable opinions relate to Diffenters as diftinguified from Roman Catholics. Their tenets were not then unfavourable to the conftitution. If Dr. Price reprefents the Diffenters of this day, and gives their fentiments, we must confider them at prefent in this light,

Half an Hour's Converfation, between a Churchman and a Dif Jenter, on the Subject of the Teft Laws: in which the Propriety of Repealing them is fully demonftrated. 8vo. 1d. Matthews. A plain and familiar, we cannot always fay an impartial, ftate of the question, extracted from different works and the fpeeches of Mr. Beaufoy, &c. The churchman is at laft fully convinced, and the controverfy ends by his expreffing this conviction. We were glad to find him fo foon fatisfied.

Beafons for feeking a Repeal of the Corporation and Teft Ads. By a Diffenter. 8vo. 6d. Buckland.

'Thefe Reasons are fenfible, candid, and difpaffionate. If the author had been intrufted with the direction of the application to par

A a 3

liament,

liament, the attempt might have fucceeded: if all the Diffenters had the temper of our author, no poffible danger could have arifen from the repeal. The only part in which he appears lefs fuccessful is his defence of the conduct of the Diffenters refpecting the American war.

A Letter to a Friend on the Teft Act. 8vo. 1s. Stockdale.

The test act is confidered in the friendly epiftle before us chiefly as it affects the union with Scotland, and as a rite of religion. In the last view, our author finds it objectionable, and verging towards Popery. The annual indemnity bill he thinks is a local avowal of the hardships of the acts; but it was certainly intended to avert the confequence of the infringement from those who from neceffity were prevented from complying with the injunctions. We can add nothing in commendation of the fpirit or ability difplayed in this epiftle.

An Addrefs to the Inhabitants of Nottingham, occafioned by a Let ter fent to the Mayor, and fome other Members of the Corporation of that Town. With an Appendix on the Subject of the Teft Laws. By G. Wakefield, B. A. 8vo. IS. Johnson.

The mayor of Nottingham has been one of the martyrs in this most virulent perfecution, for neither of the perfecutions in the first ages of the church feem to have made a deeper impreffion on the minds of the Diffenters. Mr. Wakefield, from this attempt, which we really think an unreasonably fevere one, engages in the difcuffion of the fubject of the test act; and he endeavours to fhow, that the chief magiftrate has no right to enquire into and establish rules for the religious opinions of his fubjects, as well as that the Church of England is not the religion of the Scriptures. On each point he feems not to reason with his ufual clearness and ability.

Facts, fubmitted to the Confideration of the Friends to Civil and Religious Liberty, but more particularly addreffed to the Proteftant Diffenters of England and Wales. 8vo. 1s. Johnfon. We have perufed thefe Facts with great pleafure; for the language is animated, the reafoning acute, and the conclufions, if not folid, plaufible. They contain the different opinions, or the fuppofed opinions of king William, &c. in favour of the Dif fenters, contrafted with the fufpicions entertained of the prefent king and his minifter on the fame fubject. We should have trufted more to our author's reprefentations, if we had not perceived a strong tendency to convert a religious question into an antiminifierial engine.

Bishop Hoadly's Refutation of Bishop Sherlock's Arguments againf Repeal of the Teft and Corporation Acts. 8vo. Is. 6d. Johnson.

The retort courteous to the publisher of Dr. Sherlock's Defence. The revival of the controverfy has produced nothing

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