guide to all. Very pleafing is it to obferve, that, by the exemplary diligence now exerted for fmoothing every avenue to facred knowledge, grofs ignorance of it will be foon without excufe; we hope, almost without example. Dr. Hev's Lectures in Divinity*, may be confidered as a fimilar undertaking, on a more extended plan; but we forbear to characterize them further, till our account of them fhall be completed. In the publication entitled Hora Biblicat, we fee with fatisfaction an eminent lawyer (Mr. Butler) holding out the torch to thofe who would explore the paths of biblical literature; and holding it with a hand fo fteady and judicious, as almoft to remove an obfcurity, which till then had baffled all but the profounder ftudents of Theology. To the fame clafs of facred works belongs alfo, in a great measure, Mr. Kett's Interpreter of Prophecy; of which the first 300 pages contain fo excellent an abstract of the Prophecies, as far as the deftruction of Jerufalem, that they would alone form a cheap and moft ufeful manual, feparately printed, for thofe whom more obfcure enquiries might deter. The remainder offers matter well worthy of contemplation to the theologian, but is lefs formed, excepting the conclufion, for general ufe. Two fets of Sermons at the Bampton Lecture, by Mr. Hall§ and Dr. Barrow, contribute to enforce and illuftrate the evidences of religion; the former, by explaining the fulnefs and the fitnefs of the time when our Saviour appeared on earth; the latter, by difcuffing many topics which have been frequently thought pregnant with doubt or difficulty. When we afligned the first place in this divifion to the Bishop of Lincoln's excellent book, to which we have fubjoined fuch others as feemed more immediately to clafs with it, we did not forget or un * No. V. P. 496. See alfo vol. xiii, p. 600. + No. VI. p. 617. No. I p. 27. No. III. p. 284. dervalue dervalue the Collation of the Septuagint, by Dr. Holmes. But original works feemed to claim the preference, especially as no more than the book of Genefis* has yet appeared. May the indefatigable and meritofious editor proceed with equal fuccefs in the enfuing parts of his task ! There are ftill fome important publications which demand our notice in this clafs: among which, we muft by no means omit to mention the Sermons of the venerable Dr. Maclainet, the tranflator and judicious annotator of Mofheim. The fubjects are important, whether general or temporary, and the manner in which they are treated evinces the united powers of an able writer and a powerful reasoner. The Supplement of Mr. King, to his Remarks on the Signs of the Times, itfelf an edifying example. of pious investigation, into a subject of general moment, gave occafion to the more profound and elaborate Difquifitions of the Bishop of Rochesters, where controverly appears difarmed of all its feverity, and reconciled with politeness and friendship. Another work, in which the state of the times is particularly confi dered, and a fuitable difcipline in religion prefcribed, is the Chriftian Monitor, by the Rev. J. Owen. In this the author labours diligently, and pleads ably, to recal the knowledge and the practice of the early periods of our national church; and as fo many efforts are now confpiring towards the fame end, it is reafonable to hope that they will produce a happy effect. Among the lefs extended productions in Divinity, the valuable Charge of the Bishop of London may justly claim the foremost place: the character of practical utility ftrongly recommends it to the reader, while the fpirit of genuine piety challenges his veneration for the writer. Never to be mentioned No. III. 5 lb. 130.0 P. 217. + No. IV. p. 386. No. VI. p. 660. ‡ No. II. p. 127. No. III. p. 242. without without refpect, and at this moment not without re gret, Mr. Jones, the author of a Letter to three converted Jews, has lately clofed his laborious and exemplary life. One or two tracts, publifhed fince that Letter, remain unexamined by us: thefe we shall perufe with care, affured of this, that whether we agree or whether we differ (as fometimes we have done, on particular matters of opinion) our esteem. for fuch a character can neither require augmentation, nor will fuffer any diminution. Charus abis, oculis abeuntem perfequor udis. At In our notice of fingle Sermons, we are generally obliged to be more fummary, in this part of our work, than on fome accounts we could with. prefent we shall mention only four, which appear to deferve felection, among many that are ftamped with merit. Thefe we fhall take in the accidental order of their occurrence in our pages. They are the Thanksgiving Sermon of Mr. T. F. Middletont, the Affociation Sermon of Mr. Partridget, that of Dr. Cardews, for the General Infirmary at Truro, and the Difcourfe of Mr. Lambard, at the confecration of the Bishop of Oxford. The difcrimination of their refpective excellencies may be deduced from the fubjects on which they treat; each being strictly and judiciously appropriated to its occafion. Thefe dif courfes we noted in our progrefs; if there are others which may fairly ftand in competition with them, we rejoice in the fact, and in the inferences deducible from it. Where merit ftrives with merit ἀγαθὴ ἔρις ἥδε βροτοῖσι, MORALS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE. The great fyftem of Ariftotle, on both thefe fubjects, having been developed by Dr. Gillies, with great No. I. p. 79. § No. IV. p. 436. + No. II. p. 193. + No. IV. p. 435 clearneís clearness, and ability, in a work which may be confidered rather as an ample comment on the Morals and Politics of that Philofopher, than a strict tranflation of them, we opened fome of the learned editor's views to our readers in our preceding volume*, and concluded our examination in two numbers of the prefentt. So powerful an antidote to the fhallow and abfurd but dangerous doctrines of the prefent day, we have not elsewhere feen; and though authority is often spurned with contemptuous ignorance by modern fpeculators, it is fitting they should know that, in the testimony of Ariftotle, they have not only the acúteft reasoning, but the most extenfive experience against them. LAW. The eccentric, and in many points reprehenfible, will of the late Mr. Thelluffon, and the legal decifion upon it, produced fome publications, of which, by far the moft judicious, was the report upon the Cafe by Mr.Vefeyt. The Obfervations on the Poor Laws, and the Duties of Overseers, delivered by Dr. Nafmith, in the Ifle of Ely, as a Charges at the Quarter-Seilions, contain matter of confiderable value. Nor must we omit to mention, though anonymous, thofe cogent arguments against changing the ancient tenure of tithes, published under the quaint title of Who`ll Change old Lamps for new? The author appears to write from the beft motives, and certainly after much. confideration of the fubject. POLITICS. The chief publications belonging to this clafs have lately had reference to the projected Union between * Vol. xiii, p. 457-. + No. I. p. 55; II. p. 148. No. III. p. 235• ‡ No. II: No. I. p. 81. Great Britain and Ireland. With no bias on our minds, but that naturally arifing from the happy effects of the Union between the two kingdoms within this ifland, and the manifeft neceffity of fome radical improvement in the regulation of that beyond St. George's Channel, we have carefully examined the publications on that important fubject, and have fincerely thought, that the arguments in favour of the measure greatly preponderated. They who wish to continue their collections on this topic, will not neglect to procure, in favour of the Queftion, Lord Minto's Speech in the Houfe of Peers; a tract, entitled Ireland profiting by Example† ; Mr. W. Smith's Addrefs to the People of Ireland‡; the parliamentary Speech of Lord Sheffield§; and, the Obfervations on the Union, by Mr. George Moore. On the other fide, the chief publication which we have lately noticed, purports to be the Speech of the Right Hon. John Fofter, a zealous opponent of the measure. This is generally regarded as the moft powerful production of that party, yet has received two anfwers of confiderable force: the one in a tract, entitled Obfervations on the Speech of the Right Hon. John Fofter**; the other ftyling itself a Review of the Publication entitled the Speech, &c. written by Mr. Smith††, whose Address we had before noticed and commended. The teft of experience, that infallible decider of all difficulties, is now likely to be applied to the Question, and our moft earneft withes are, that all the good expected may be realized and exceeded, while the difadvantages fhall vanish and prove chimerical. To encourage this hope, it fhould not be forgotten, that the opponents of the internal Union of Great Britain, were even more alarming in their prognostics, than any writers against the prefent defign. Yet their omens * No. 1. F. 82. No. III. p. 320. No. IV. p. 439 + No. 1. p. 83. ++ No. VI. p. 679. No. III. p. 264. came |