MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For JUNE, 1770.

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL.

Art. 12. Remarks on the Principles and Spirit of a Work entitled, The Confeffional. Being a Sequel to the fecond Edition of A full Anfwer to the Effay on Spirit. By the Rev. William Jones, A. B. late of Univerfity College in Oxford, and Rector of Pluckley in Kent. 8vo. 2 s. 6 d. fewed. Robinfon and Roberts, &c.

1770.

MR

R. Jones falls upon the author of the Confeffional,-with what temper, and in what fort of ftyle, the Reader will learn from the following paragraph, extracted from his preface:

Speaking of the Three Letters* which have been addreffed to Mr. Blackburne, and which he confiders as a fair and full confutation of the Confeffional, he observes, that there are readers who will hardly be at the pains to follow the argument to fuch a length; as there are doubtlefs fome admirers of the Confeffional who have not had patience to attend their guide through all the multifarious doub lings and turnings of his hiftorical LIBEL. Therefore, fays this candid, meek, and polite Remarker, I thought it might be of ufe to fhew the author's mistakes in a smaller compafs; for if his principles are agreeable neither to fcripture, nor reafon, nor the univerfal practice of Chriftians in all ages, fcurrilous anecdotes, and fcraps of history, pointed against the CHURCH and CHURCHMEN, with all the art the author is mafter of, and more invectives than any dictionary can supply him with, will never compenfate for fuch a defect, but in the opinion of those who are under the fame prejudices with himself.'

Of this Writer's theological principles, and of his manner of writing, we have, on former occafions †, endeavoured to give our Readers a competent and just idea; and a few ftrictures have been offered on fome things advanced by him, on particular points of what is called orthodoxy, as well as on the fubject of natural philofophy 1. On the whole, we have not expreffed the most favourable opinion of Mr. Jones's abilities; but that juftice which is due to all men, and all parties, obliges us to obferve, on the prefent occafion, that we think he appears to fomewhat more advantage in his prefent production; although we are as far from confidering him as an equal match for the masterly writer of the Confeffional, as we are from inclining to fubfcribe to that system of divinity for which Mr. J. is fo warm and zealous an advocate, Thofe, however, who are defirous of entering into the arguments that are brought by this Gentleman, in aid of what has been offered by the Waterlands and the

See Review, vol. xxxviii.

+ See our account of his Full Anfwer to the Effay on Spirit, Review, vol. ix p. 127. and of his Catholic Doctrine of the Trinity, vol. xvii. p. 284.

See our account of his Effay on the firft Principles of Natural Philofophy, Review, vol. xxvii, p. 122.

Traps, and other champions of Athanafianifm and church-authority, with all their facred train of tefts, and articles, and prescriptions, and fubfcriptions, &c. &c. will here find that our Author hath as much, and as much to the purpose, to say in fupport of his cause, his creeds and confeffions, his articles and ecclefiaftical establishments, as the beft of 'em. Aye, and that he can abuse, and rail at, your Clarkes, your Hoadleys, your Whiftons, and your Claytons, as piously as Athanafius or Calvin themselves could have done, had they lived in the days of these notorious heretics.-It was indeed faid, by a celebrated wit and preacher now living, by way of farcafm on a gentleman with whom he had a controverfy, "Let him rail on-he can do nothing else." But this is not seriously applicable to the Author of the prefent Remarks; nor will the learned writer of the Confeffional, against whom fome able pens have been drawn, find him one of his moft contemptible opponents. Art. 13. Sermons principally addressed to Youth, To which is added, a Tranflation of Ifocrates's Oration to Demonicus. By J. Toulmin, A. M. 12mo. 3 s. fewed. Baldwin, &c.

1770.

These are fenfible, ferious, practical fermons, and feem very well calculated for the benefit of thofe to whom they are immediately addreffed. The tranflation annexed to the difcourfes is added, we are told, because it falls in with the defign of their publication, that of inftilling into the minds of youth the fentiments of wisdom and virtue.

Art. 14. God All in All. Being a Letter to the Baptist Church Meeting at Goodman's Fields, London, under the paftoral Care of the Rev. Mr. Abraham Booth. By S. W. who was ejected by the faid Church, 21 Feb. 1770, for not believing that the Man Christ was God. To which is added, a few Thoughts on the diftinct Properties of the intelligent and material Creation, and the Relation they are kept in by God to each other in the human Body and Soul. 8vo. I s. Bladon.

The world has very little to do with thefe private difputes, and it is pity any fociety fhould be expofed by them. This performance may, however, among other inftances, ferve to convince us, that enthufiafm and rhapfody are not confined to any particular fet of opinions. Any farther notice of the pamphlet is quite unneceffary: it is fufficient juft to fay that fuch a one is published, and might well have been spared.

Art. 15. Obfervations upon three Sermons, preached by the Rev. Mr. Gaunt, at St. Martin's, Birmingham, intitled, The Impoffibility of being faved by Faith without Obedience; tending to point out fome of the Falfhoods and Contradictions advanced by that Author. 8vo. 6d. Folingfby. 1770.

This Writer is very fevere upon Mr. Gaunt's three difcourfes, which he pronounces to be a mere jumble of words, without matter, without argument, and without meaning: a cenfure not uncommonly paffed when prejudiced perfons are attacked in some favourite opinions. Mr. Gaunt is charged with contradicting himself, one while faying, that men are juftified neither by faith, nor by acts of righteoufnefs and virtue, but only by the merits of him who became obedient

obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, and another while declaring, we may properly enough affirm, that a man is juftified by works. He is farther charged with contradicting the articles and homilies to which he had fubfcribed, and with falfely quoting one of thofe articles. But we must leave him to plead his own cause, and defend himself as well as he can.

Art. 16. An Effay on the Epifle to the Romans; with Notes. Defigned as a Key to the Apoftolic Writings. By J. C. Author of the firft Part. Part II. 8vo. 6 d. Johnfon and Payne. 1769. This little pamphlet, confifting of eight pages befide the preface and title page, carries on an effay begun fometime ago, and, we fuppofe, to be farther continued. In the former part the Author had given what he calls a fhort and comprehenfive view of the gospel of man's falvation: that was extended to the 27th verfe of the third chapter, with which this fecond part begins, and which he thus paraphrafes Now what think ye of meriting eternal life? Glorying in the flesh, you fee-from the foregoing fummary of religion, v. 18-26-is for ever abolished.-The law condemns the whole buman race, and the gospel proclaims the fentence juft. How then do ye expect to be justified? By your own performances? No, furely: it muft be by the object fet before you in the gofpel, or Chrift hath died in vain-If there had been a law given that could have given life, verily righteoufnefs had been by the law. Gal. iii, 21.'

There is fomething peculiar in this Writer. In a note on the verfe he fays, Upon a curfory reading, it looks as if the gospel only excluded boating, and the law entered not into the Chriftian covenant. But by attending to the fcope of the epiftle, and preserving the thread of difcourfe, a judicious reader, not tied to fyftem, will find the law excludes boating, as well as the gospel, and the gospel includes working as well as the law-and that the apostle is not fpeaking of juftification by faith nor works, in the common acceptation of the words, but of falvation by grace according to the conftitution of the gospel. Faith ftands for the object of faith, and works for the law in general. To interpret otherwife, is to make that great mafter of reafon, St. Paul, contradict himself, which is too often done by his commentators.'

Towards the clofe he has this reflection: How much then is it to be wondered at, that the fame veil by which the Jews are wilfully blinded to this day-fhould fo long hang over the face of the Gentiles, under the light of the gofpel! Washing a cup or a dish, or performing any ritual, rather than try their deeds by the moral lawleft it should convince them of fin, righteoufnefs, and a world to come. Any thing for Few or Gentile but the moral law! Such obfervations this Writer draws from, and founds upon, the texts in question, according to the explication he gives. Art. 17. Reflections on the feven Days of the Week. 8vo. 6d. Rivington. 1770.

In thefe Reflections we fee, with pleafure and reverence, the pious and good difpofition of the Writer; who, as we learn from the prefixed advertisement, was a lady of fome diftinction, lately deceased.

See an account of the first part, Rev. Nov. 1768.

Art. 18.

Art. 18. Scripture interpreted by Scripture; or, the Doctrine of the Trinity deduced from the Old and New Teftaments. By Sir John Thorold, Bart. 8vo. 2 s. Rivington, &c.

It is not very common in the prefent day to find perfons of rank interefting themfelves in religious fubjects, and appearing publicly in their fupport; but whenever they do this, and feem to do it from worthy motives, they are entitled to refpect, even though they fhould be mistaken in their opinions. Sir John Thorold, we apprehend, is of this number, and has, we have been told, much better claims to esteem and regard than can rife from title or any external advantages, or mere literary abilities. His view, in the present publication, is, without doubt, to do fervice to his fellow-creatures, by fupporting what he thinks a clear and effential article of divine revelation, and very neceffary to be embraced by Chriftians. After having obferved in the preface, that the infinitely wife and gracious Author of our being, who hath indued us with the faculty of communicating our thoughts to one another, hath been pleased, in feveral ways, to communicate his will to men, he thus farther proceeds, • To deny the poffibility of God's doing this, is to deny his power.To deny the probability of it, on fitting occafions (of which occafions be, and be alone, is the judge) is to deny his goodness.-And againft evidence, to deny the reality of it, is to deny his veracity.-It is to fin against God; and it is to fin against man: inasmuch as it attempts to invalidate the authority of teftimony, divine and human.Nay, by fuch irrational perverfe behaviour, man fins against himself; fince, by believing nothing but what falls under the cognizance of his own fenfes ;-by denying the authority of moral evidence, he renders himself unfit, and to say the truth, unworthy to be a member of civil society."'

We prefume that the worthy baronet would not extend his meaning, here, to perfecute any perfons who in fpeculative matters fhould happen to differ from himself: but to proceed with his own reflections: fuch a one, he adds, excludes himself also, on his own principles, from the pleasure and profit of hiftorical narrations, ancient and modern, foreign and domeftic.-The revelation, which the fovereign Proprietor and Ruler of the univerfe hath vouchfafed to make to mankind, for reafons infinitely wife and good, is committed to writing. In thefe divinely inspired writings is contained the doctrine concerning the divine effence.Whether this doctrine hath been collected in the enfuing fheets with fidelity from the holy fcriptures. is fubmitted to the calm, difpaffionate judgment of the ferious and candid reader.

The arguments here offered in defence of the doctrine are the fame with thofe which have been repeatedly and largely confidered by different writers upon this fubject, though here thrown together in fomewhat of a different form. He takes notice of the fuppofed alteration of the famous text in the first Epistle to Timothy, ch. iii. 16, and of the interpolation which had been charged on 1 John v. 7, 8, and propofes fome particulars in vindication of the last mentioned paffage; but obferves, that should the alteration and the interpolation be admitted as fact, nevertheless thefe texts, in his opinion, when confidered in connection with feveral others which he

brings,

brings, would plead in favour of the cause he has efpoufed. He lays confiderable stress on the plain intimation which, he says, we find at our entrance into the fcriptures of truth, of a plurality of fome whats (which for want of a fitter word are termed perfons) in the Godhead. This intimation (he adds as others have done) is conveyed by the three following expreffions,-Elobim, He created the heavens and the earth;-Elohim, He faid let us make man, &c.-Jehovah Elohim faid, behold! the man is become as one of us.' These things. have been often canvaffed by other writers, we fhall therefore take our leave of this, we believe, well meaning Author, without farther reflections.

Art. 19. A Treatise on the Existence of a Divine Being from all Eternity. To which is annexed, a fuccinct Treatife on the Immortality of the Soul. Illuftated to Demonftration. By Chriftianus. 4to. Is. Norwich printed, for the Author, and fold by Wilkie in London. Different writers have different motives for prefenting their productions to the world. This Author, in his introduction, tells us, that it is a fufficient apology for any man who wishes well to his country, to offer his thoughts when he can have no other end in view but the public good. Befides this introduction, the work is farther ufhered in by an anonymous letter, which is one among many received, it is faid, from feveral judicious perfons, defiring that this Treatise, first written for the inftruction of a private family, might be made public. Then follows a dedication of it to the moral and virtuous, which is concluded by a Latin fentence in capitals, SUCCESSUS A DEO EST, englished in the fame CAPITAL manner, SUCCESS IS FROM GOD. To this is added, an addrefs to the Public, in which, among other things, it is obferved, that as poor mechanics cannot purchafe a number of books this Treatife will not only inform them, but will alfo eftablish a well-grounded belief on the existence of a God from all eternity, and will fave the expence of many volumes, yet anfwer the fame' end, we fuppofe, should have® been faid. As to the Treatife itself, it contains, no doubt, many good obfervations, but often ftrangely and incoherently expreffed and put together. The Writer had probably a good design in view; but we will fay no more, left it thould be found that he is rather the object of pity than of cenfure.

Art. 20. A Treatife of the Vifitation of the Sick, or of the Duties of the parochial Clergy, which concern those that are dangerously ill. Publifhed for the Ufe of yomg Divines, and those who have not been. much converfant in this important Duty. By John Stearne, D. D. Attempted in English by a Country Clergyman. 12mo. Is. 6d. Exeter printed, and fold by Law in London.

4.

The Tranflator tells us, there is fuch a particular vein of piety and good fenfe in this finall Chriftian manual, which is in very few hands, that he thought a plain and familiar tranflation of it out of the Latin into the English language might be of particular fervice. In fupport of his fuppofition he urges the authority of Mr. Bofwell who, he fays, in his Method of study, after fpeaking of the difficulty of this part of the paftoral office, and the impracticability of giving rules that fhall anfwer all the emergencies attending fick perfons, further adds, however, fome general directions of this kind may

not