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goodness, which univerfal Nature, in all its parts, exhibits before us! The affiduous culture of fuch exalted faculties, and worthy difpofitions as these, is the most delightful exercise; an employment of them, which Nature generously dictates, which the heart fuggefts, as the incumbent duty of dependent beings, and which all our powers approve as the fole worthy return of beneficiaries for benefactions fo immenfe.

The Being, who implanted in the human heart this illustrious train of intellectual abilities, perceptions, and difpofitions, gave, at the fame time, a tendency to these affections.-But to what do these moral endowments and difpofitions naturally tend?-They naturally tend to God. They all ultimately concenter in him, from whom they were derived. They acknowledge their Parent, in all their generous efforts they indicate, they fix the contemplating mind upon him, afpire after him, acquiefce in him, as the fole object that can, from the infinite plenitude of his benignity, fatisfy their enlarged and boundless defires. The heart and all its powers approve his fervice, as perfect liberty, and perfect happiness, feel a kindred, a congenial fatisfaction in the delightful exercise of devout and grateful affections towards him, feel a facred and holy tranfport in the religious and virtuous cultivation of fuch principles and difpofitions as are pleafing to him, and taste the most exquifite pleasure, that can be tafted in this world, in maintaining a communion and intercourfe with the great Father of their immortal Spirits. What is Religion, but an affimilation to the bleffed God, in his purity, holiness, rectitude, and moral perfection. A ftudy, a virtuous ambition, to be as like the God we ferve as poffible in the temper and difpofition of our minds, conftitutes the very effence of religion. And O what a pleafing and delectable exercise is this! To be employed in the imitation of God, exercifing, like him, the difpofitions and affections he hath given us in the diffufion of happiness, and making those principles, which are the foundation of his immutable and confummate happinefs, the bafis on which we are determined to erect all our happiness! How naturally does the human heart prompt fuch truths and practical principles as thefe! And what exalted felicity refults from carrying these into execution! They really reward themfelves in their performance. By our cherishing fuch difpofitions the intention of nature, and of the Author of nature, is anfwered, and the applause of our faithful confciences tells us it is anfwered.-Our understanding gives its fuffrage to Religion, as the great law of our Creator, and the fupreme happiness of our natures. It reprefents fuch a fervice as infinitely natural and infinitely reasonable, as the joft dictate of dependence, the equitable tribute of gratitude, and an indifpenfable obligation upon frail and indigent 'creatures for the various bleffings of their all-fufficient benefactor. Our will, judgment, moral taste, and difcernment, unite in giving their fanction to religion, as what folely conftitutes the moral union and harmony of all the mental powers; they recommend it, choose it, and conjoin in approving it, as the fource of the most fubftantial and permanent happinets, and as perfective of the true dignity and glory of our rational and immortal natures. Our confcience feals and ftamps with its folemn fanction the intrinfic worth and native excellence of religion, itrongly, painfully remonstrating against every wilful violation of its laws, and applauding every virtuous compliance with its great injunctions. So that

you

you fee all our intellectual and moral powers harmoniously concur în giv ing their attestation to the unrivalled amiableness and importance of religion, in reprefenting it as the nobleft attainment, the most natural, and confequently the best exercife of our rational faculties, as the primary cardinal law impreffed upon us in our formation, as the firft and ultimate defign of our Creator, as the confummate felicity of our natures, as the best moral copy of the great divine Original, as the fairest imitation of the Deity, the great firft Standard and fupreme Exemplar of all moral beauty and perfection.'

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As this ufeful performance is defigned for young perfons, the Author has, through the whole of it, made ufe of a florid, diffufive, and declamatory style, as being, in general, moft agreeable to their talle."

Art. 42. The Hypothefts of a Triune Subfiftence in the Deity, as maintained by the Author of A Seafonable Rebuke to an Ignorant Reviler; examined by a By-ftander. 8vo. 6d. Wilkie.

Having never (to the best of our recollection) feen the Seafonable ReBuke, nor heard of it before, we have nothing farther to fay, with regard to this examination of it, than that it is written in oppofition to the Athanafian herefy; and that this controverfy appears to have been occafioned by a notable tract pretended to have been wrote by a blackmib: probably the fame mentioned in our 21ft Vol. p. 57

Art. 43. An Attempt to reflore the fupreme Worship of God the Father Almighty. To which is now added, a Dialogue between an Athanafian and a Unitarian. Written for the Ufe of poor Chriftians, by George Williams, a Livery-fervant. Second Edition, with Additions, and a Preface, by T. A. O. T. C. O. A. D. 8vo. I S. Becket and De Hondt.

between an

Unitarian

From the publication of this edition of Williams's Attempt, it appears that the little anonymous tract, entitled, A Dialg gue Chriftian and an Athanafian, mentioned in our Review for September, page 237, and here re printed, is alfo the work of this honeft and pious DOMESTIC. The preface to this joint edition of the two pamphlets, appears to be written by a reverend gentleman of Eriftol; who has taken this occafion of giving the following account of the Author: which may ferve as a fupplement to the particulars inferted in our Review of the Aitempt, viz.

Great numbers, it feems, have thought that the name prefixed to this pamphlet is a fictitious one, and that no fuch perfon as George WilLami, the real author of this Attempt, can be produced. I have, therefore, wrote this, principally to atteft the identity of his perfon. This honeft worthy man lives at Tewkesbury in Glocestershire. He is a very ferious, fedate, intelligent perfon, who has ever maintained a character unexceptionable. I take him to be about 50. He is a livery-fervant, but has enjoyed many opportunities for the improvement of his mind. In his vacant hours be hath carefully read fome of the beft books in our tanguage. His paffion for truth is boundless. In a letter now before me hells me, he had rather promote truth in the world than er:♬

churches

cbarches or build hofpitals. He hath no despicable app atus of mathe matical inftruments; and poffeffes a confiderable fund of philofophical knowledge, which he hath acquired folely by the dint of application, and the habit of patient thinking. I find he hath always been diftinguished for the probity, integrity, and goodness of his heart. This is a poffeffion worth all the fcience and erudition in the world. Our Lord faid, The poor have the gospel preached unto them, confequently the poor are as capable of understanding its fundamental truths as the profoundeft scholar that ever lived. There is not one revelation for the poor, another for the rich; one fyftem of truths for the learned, another for the unlearned. The gofpel indifcriminately opens its divine treafures to all. The peafant is as much concerned in its great doctrines and difcoveries as the philofopher. This worthy confcientious Chriftian hath gone through evil report and good report; through honour and difponour. Some fay of him as they did of our divine Malter, that he is a good man: others fay nay, but be deceiveth the people. I find he hath been greatly careffed by numbers both of the clergy and laity fince the publication of this little tract; while others have loaded him with odious names; have tried to incenfe the rabble against him, threatened him with a profecution, and endeavoured to confute him by the invincible arguments of the fecular arm. I only wish I had intereft enough in the world to promote a fubfcription to this worthy honest creature, to enable him to buy a few more good books, and a few more ufeful philofophical inftruments."

The main intention of this preface, is to fecond and enforce what Mr. Williams has offered in fupport of the Unitarian doctrine; by fome general obfervations on the abfurdity of what is here ftyled the Athanafian impiety of three Gods.'

Art. 44. Ante-nuptial Fornication confidered. In a Letter to a young Gentleman. Small 8vo. Is. Becket.

One would not have imagined that any thing could ever have been feriously offered in defence of any fpecies of fornication; and confequently, we might naturally conclude, that a courfe of learned arguments against a criminal indulgence in ante-nuptial intimacies, would be totally unneceffary:- altho' diffuafives, on religious and prudential motives, may have become but too requifite, from the indifcretion or frailty of many individuals. A cafe, however, is here ftated, wherein a young gentleman, foberly inclined, and in view of a happy matrimonial connexion, was engaged in a debate on the fubject of antenuptial fornication; wherein he found himself unable to maintain the virtuous cause of chastity, against the fpecious reafonings of a fet of able difputants, who undertook to palliate and even vindicate a practice, into which the ju venile cafuift was by no means inclined to fall. Our Author, therefore, fends him this long and elaborate epiftle, to enable him the better to ftand his ground, against his fubtle and even learned opponents. To this purpose, he enters on a critical enquiry into the nature of matrimony; and quotes a variety of paffages from the Old and New Tetta ments, both preceptive and hiftorical, relating to this fubject. And having confidered how far the idea of the marriage venant is conformable to the dictates both of reafon and fcripture; he next fhews in what

manner

manner thefe dictates are enforced by our national laws concerning this inftitution. He then appeals to the law and voice of confcience; and makes a pathetic addrefs to those who are fuppofed to maintain the argument in favour of that libertinifm which is the point here contraverted: concluding the whole with fome pious reflections, and judicious obfervations, well fuited to the occafion.-The Author, though a very grave, is by no means a disagreeable or inelegant writer; expreffing himself, throughout, in a manner becoming the scholar and the gentleman.

Art. 45. Every true Chriflian a new Creature. Being a Treatife on II. Cor. v. 17. By J. Townsend, M. A. Rector of Pewfey in Wilts; late of Clare-hall, Camb. and Chaplain to Jean Duchefs Dowager of Atholl. 12mo. 1s. Dilly.

Methodistical fanaticism.

Art. 46. An Exhortation to Beneficence. By Edward Watkinson, M.D. Rector of Chart in Kent. 8vo. York, printed for the Author.

We have affixed no price to this article, as we do not understand that any copies are to be fold; but the Author, we are informed, hath fent a number of them to his bookfeller, Mrs. Richardfon, in Pater-nofterrow. It is a Sermon, and should have been inferted in the lift of pulpit difcourfes; but as the title page doth not exprefs it as fuch, we have placed it here. We entirely agree with the good Doctor himself, that it is a plain honest discourse,' in which he hath nervously recommended the practice of one of the most amiable, moft Chriftian virtues; without perverting the fcripture,' and (we verily believe) without handling the word of God deceitfully."

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SERMONS.

I. The Infanity of the Senfualift.-Preached to young People, Dec. 25, 1765; in New Broadftreet. By John Palmer. Buckland, &c.

II. On the Death of Mifs Eliz. Chriftian, Daughter of the Rev. Mr. W. Chriftian, late of Shapftead, Leicestershire, Sept. 29, 1765. By John Martin. Keith, &c..

IH. The Lord our Righteoufnefs.At the Chapel in Weftftreet, Seven Dials, Nov. 24, 1765. By John Wesley. [For the Benefit of the Poor.] Fletcher, &c.

IV. At St. Thomas's, Jan. 1, 1766, for the Benefit of the Charity-fchool in Gravel-lane, Southwark. By Richard Price F. R. S. Millar.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For FEBRUARY, 1766.

The Alliance between Church and State: or, the Neceffity and Equity of an established Religion and a Teft-Law demonftrated. In Three Books. The Fourth Edition, corrected and enlarged, By Dr. W. Warburton, Lord Bishop of Gloucester. 8vo. 6s. Millar and Tonfon.

A

S this edition of the celebrated Alliance between Church and State is much enlarged, it will naturally be expected that we fhould give an account of the moft confiderable additions that are made to it. As to the work itfelf, any analysis of it would be unneceffary, as few of our Readers can be unacquainted with the merit of so very curious a performance.

In Chap. 5th, Book 1ft, his Lordship, fpeaking of the author of The Rights of the Chriflian Church, makes the following obfervations in regard to Hobbes - Hobbes, fays he, is commonly fupposed to be an enemy to all religion, especially the Chriftian. But it is obfervable, that in his attacks upon it (if at leaft he intended his chapter of the Chriftian Commonwealth in the Leviathan, for an attack) he has taken direct contrary meafures from those of Bayle, Collins, Tyndal, Bolingbroke, and all the other writers againft revelation. They endeavoured to fhew the gospel-fyftem as unreasonable as their extreme malice could make it; he as reasonable as his admirable wit could represent it.The schemes of church difcipline likewise, which they and he feverally recommended, were by an odd fatality as different as their reprefentations of the doctrine; but in the reverse, as to their qualities. They, all of them contended for the most unbounded toleration: he, for the moft rigorous conformity. He feems, indeed, to have formed his plan of ecclefiaftical governkent before he turned his thoughts to the Chriftian doctrine: and therefore as his politics had inforced an abfolute fubmiffion to the civil magiftrate in fpirituals, he contrived, in order to make VOL. XXXIV.

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