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with those who at that time claimed the denomination of orthodox, and he appears to have been an adept in that kind of divinity: but, which is far more important, he also appears earnestly folicitous to advance the true interest of his hearers. Learned and kilful he certainly was; and we apprehend he acted conformably to the noble dictates of virtue, integrity, and goodnefs.

We meet with one long letter on the fubject of the Trinity, in which are a few fingular things: but we particularly remark his declaration, that they, who believe the fcriptures, agree, *that, if it be not impoffible, it is fufficiently revealed.' Now the great stress of the objection, as to the prefent day at least, feems to rest here, that the fcriptures, when fairly examined and candidly explained, contain no fuch revelation.

In another letter relative to diffenters from the church of England, we find a liberality of fentiment; and fome intimations, if we miftake not, that established forms and customs. might be confiderably amended:-but who pleads for the infallibility of human ordinances?

The editor of this volume concludes the account of his anceftor in this manner :

Thus I have endeavoured to draw a likeness of the Doctor in miniature; nay, indeed, I have ftudied to make him his own biographer; though I know many people do not approve this method of writing lives, as not being fufficiently didactic, nor admitting that favourable point of view in which moft readers expect an editor to place his fubject; yet, on the other hand, if it does not give a flattering likeness, it is more likely to give an exact one, as being drawn from the original. But whether it be fo or not, I leave to the connoiffeur to determine.'

We must now take fome notice of the fermons; concerning which, however, we have not much to offer. They are of the old puritanical kind; they have an air of seriousness and earneftnefs adapted to engage attention and to accomplish good purpofes; they wear the marks of fenfe and ingenuity in the author, and of his powers of perfuafion; they prefent pertinent and useful obfervations, and fome that will not fail to ftrike the reader's mind with confiderable force: but the divifions are tedious, and at times obfcure; and the diftinctions are nice, if not unfatisfactory or unintelligible, perplexed with scholaftic terms, and tinctured with thofe notions of religion, and of the divine government, which, in thefe days, would be thought more likely to turn men from all care and concern about their duty to God, and their own fafety, than to lead them to a wife and due degree of thoughtfulness and diligent endeavour to work out their own falvation.

It is rather curious, (how far it is inftructive, let the reader determine,) to obferve our author addreffing his audience in this

manner:

In a fynthetical way, I might recommend to you in order subjellum, principia, et affectus: but, to avoid the confufion of too many fubdivifions, you may briefly obferve thefe particulars in their order; Motor, Metio, Mobile, Motus, Via, et Terminus, (p. 85.) which agree exactly with the order of nature and the conftruction of words in the text.'

The text is, Draw me, we will run after thee*. There are other fpecimens of a like kind in the volume, (and which are alfo fpecimens of the fashion of preaching in those days,) but we think none fo remarkable as this. Left we fhould be deemed partial, we will here add a few lines which may be thought more worthy of a preacher, when he fays,

To profefs religion towards God, and at the fame time to walk difhoneftly towards man, is to give ourselves the lie: "He that faith he loves God, and yet at the fame time hateth his brother, is a liar." It is a fhame for men, while they would seem religious, to fail in morality-while they would be thought eminent in grace, to come fhort of what even nature would teach them. To make great profeffion of religion, without producing fruit anfwerable thereunto, is much like the tree which Pliny fpeaks of, that had leaves as broad as a fhield, but fruit fcarcely fo large as peas.'

Little narrations and allufions are occafionally and pertinently introduced: but though we meet with fuch practical remarks and exhortations as that which we have just given, the fermons, for the chief part, are rather of that fort which is termed doctrinal.

We agree with Mr. De Coetlogon, who writes a recommendatory preface to this volume, that it contains the fentiments efpoufed by many, not all, of the Reformers; and that it certainly accords with that code of doctrine prefcribed, by act of parliament, for teachers in the church of England: but when he declares his apprehenfion, that ignorance and abfurdity alone can deny their concurrence with the Holy Scriptures, we cannot but withhold our affent, fubmit to Mr. De Coetlogon's cenfure, and rank with the ignorant and abfurd, rather than fubfcribe to those representations of the Supreme administration, which appear to us, though not fo intended, liable to the charge of profaneness.

We have already paid our willing tribute of refpect and applaufe to the memory of Dr. Wallis: but though we esteem him, as wife and good, and refpect him as an eminent, nay, a great mathematician, we muft regard him as an indifferent logician in divinity, as far as any judgment can be formed

Canticles, chap. i. 4.

from

from these sermons; and for this defect we can easily account, from his being tied down to a system, the fyftem of Calvinifm, confidered by numbers as the voice of Scripture and of God; and by which, therefore, they interpret the Bible.

The difcourfes, however, will prove acceptable to many readers; and from refpect to the editor, as a defcendant of Dr. Wallis, though unknown to us, we wish they may meet with a liberal reception from the public. It has been intimated to us, that he is in narrow circumftances, owing to his father having been difinherited from the Pynfent eftate. This fact, when made known to the great family now in poffeffion of that eftate, may poffibly meet with attention:-may the refult prove advantageous to him!

IN

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ART. XIX. Sketches and Hints of Church Hiftory, and Theological Controversy, chiefly tranflated and abridged from modern foreign Writers. By John Erskine, D. D. one of the Ministers of Edinburgh. 12mo. pp. 307. 3s. Boards. Vernor. 1790. IN Dr. Erfkine's own words, the chief defign of the following fheets is to impart to others the entertainment and inftruction which I have received from foreign writers, as to the hiftory of the earliest ages of Christianity, and the prefent ftate of religion and theological controverfy.' We approve the Doctor's defign, and we commend his work; though we cannot compliment him on his zeal for ecclefiaftical eftablishments; nor conclude, as he in effect feems to do, that opinions must be right, because they have received the fanction of human authority. Neither can we perceive any real, nor probable, connection between fome part of what is termed Arminian doctrine, or indeed Unitarian and Socinian principles, and the return and prevalence of Popery. We can more easily allow a danger of this kind, if a total want of real principle and piety fhould be prevalent, or when a fpirit of mere diffipation, or ignorant zeal for what bears the name, though not the nature, of religion, are encouraged; and yet more if governors and statesmen are inclined to defpotifm; when this is the cafe, they can find no engine better fitted to the purpose, than that which is furnished by fuperftitious tenets.

Among the extracts from German writers, (and German writers are principally quoted,) we find fome accounts of the Ex-Jefuits, as they are called; particularly thofe who are faid to be fettled in great numbers under the protection of the Emprefs, in White Ruffia: many connected with them, we are here informed, are fpred under different characters, in all countries; and, in a variety of forms, infinuate themselves into

and

and intermix with every clafs of fociety. If there be truth in this, it behoves the people to be on their guard.

To a mind of any difcernment, if not overwhelmed by bi gotry and fuperftition, it must be aftonishing to obferve, (as we may in fome parts of this volume,) the nonfenfe, folly, and blafphemy, which the priests of Popery have vended, even in later years; and it is yet more aftonishing that fuch abfurdities fhould be received with any kind of patience: at the fame time it may also occafion furprize, but of an agreeable and pleasing nature, to learn that many publications have appeared favour able to reason, truth, religion, and liberty; and that fome of these have Roman Catholic authors. One memorable instance of the latter kind is afforded by Koltner, a Francifcan, who pub lifhed a fermon at Vienna, replete with virtuous truth :-but, it is added, Koltner's honeft zeal has been rewarded with the lofs of his office as teacher of ecclefiaftical law, and with perfecution.' Several of these relations are given, in a chapter of felections from Dr. Seiler's German Literary Journals, 1776 1778.

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Though this work is compofed principally from foreign materials, yet to make extracts from a book of extracts, does not well accord with the nature of our Review; befide which, fome account of the originals have, in different ways, been offered to the public. We cannot, however, refrain from taking some notice of a translation from the Spanish, of GARCIAS'S Guide to eternal happiness, concerning which we are gravely and wifely informed, that eight days religious retirement, and following the exercises here prefcribed, will procure eight thousand degrees of grace and glory.'-Earther, among the pious emotions recommended, are thanks to God for damning Julian, Mahomet, Luther, and Calvin.'-An anonymous piece, by a Roman Catholic, printed at Francfort in 1784, contains many fenfible remarks on ecclefiaftical impofition and craft-among others, we notice the following fhort sentence: • Good fenfe has forced itself into palaces, and monarchs entertain juft and liberal fentiments of the rights of mankind, and of the limits of religious zeal. But how long will this light fhine?'-If the remark be true, as we heartily with it may be, we rejoice; we with alfo, and we would willingly hope, that it may long continue, and greatly improve!-We will just add to the above, a few lines of a remarkable paffage from HELVETIUS de l'Homme, fect. 4. c. 21. There is one only cafe, where toleration may be highly hurtful to a nation. That cafe is, when a nation tolerates an intolerant religion; and fuch a religion is the Catholic. When their religion becomes powerful, it will fhed the blood of its thoughtlefs protectors, and as a

ferpent,

ferpent, poison the bofom which cherished it. The intereft of German princes fempts them to Popery, as affording beneficial offices to their families and friends. When they embrace Popery, they will constrain their fubjects to embrace it also; and if for this purpose they muft fhed human blood, human blood they will fhed.'

This little volume is chiefly confined to obfervations on the ancient and modern ftate of Chriftianity, &c.: but we meet with one short chapter on the poems of Offian; in which the author infifls on a remarkable resemblance that the Song of the Bards over Cuchullin bears to the Lamentation of David over Saul and Jonathan. The book concludes with an account of fome different denominations of Chriftians in North America,

H....S.

ART. XX. A Reply to the Rev. Dr. Prieftley's Appeal to the Public, on the Subject of the late Riots at Birmingham, in Vindication of the Clergy and other refpectable Inhabitants of the Town. By the Rev. Edward Burn, M. A. 8vo. pp. 125. 28. Baldwin. 1792.

AUDI

JUDI alteram partem is the motto that Mr. Burn has chofen; and to all controverfies, in which the paffions of men, as in the present inftance, are excited into violent action, it may with the utmost propriety be prefixed. When our readers confider how eafily facts, or parts of facts, may be omitted, overlooked, or mil-ftated; and how differently different men, furveying the fame occurrences through media variously coloured by their refpective interefts, habits, or prejudices, will defcribe and argue on them; they will perceive the neceffity of hearing oppofite statements, if they with to acquire any accuracy of knowlege. Dr. Priestley, whofe "Appeal to the Public" we have already noticed, and which, on the whole, must be allowed to do him credit, has been too great a sufferer by the Birmingham riots to be admitted as a calm and difpaffionate hiftorian. "Some natural tears," he may be fuppofed to have dropped on the recording page, and fome portion of regret and refentment must have clung about his mind, which, in spite of all his philofophy and religious principles, may probably, at times, have feduced him from the path of folid evidence, found reasoning, and Chriftian candour. With refpect to the clergy, we apprehended that this was indeed the cafe, as we intimated in our Review of the "Appeal;" nor could we imagine that the party accused would remain filent under the feveral charges

* See Monthly Review, New Series, vol. vii. p. 286.

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