us, we must leave it to be studied by those who have more leifure and perfeverance than ourselves. The fermon would have been a good fermon, had it not been written on a new plan. The Author, who feems to be a refpectable man, and is certainly not deftitute of literary talents, would have appeared to much greater advantage in that Jerious character which feems to be natural to him, than in the fantaftical drefs of a wit and droll, which does not fit easy on him. While, therefore, we approve his defign, we cannot commend the mode in which this little work has been fashioned. Let him write in a strain and manner natural to him, and we are perfuaded he will do it with eafe to himself and fatisfaction to his readers; but nature, it would feem, never intended him to fucceed in the walk of a Foote or a Stevens: they could not have equalled him in ferious compofition; why should he wish to rival them? Non omnia poffumus omnes.

Art. 67. Poetical Effays on Moral Subjects: to which is added, A Winter Piece in Profe. By a Youth. 12mo. 1 s. 6d. Buckland. 1787.

The pious fpirit and the good intention of this young writer will not, we are afraid, atone for the want of fancy in his verfe, and of fimplicity in his profe. In the former, his Mufe creeps as much too humbly, as the foars too loftily in the latter,

Law.

Art. 68. A full and accurate Report of the Trial between Mr. Stephens, Trustee to E. Bowes, commonly called Countess of Strathmore, and Andrew Robinfon Stoney Bowes, Efq; her fecond Hufband, in the Court of Common Pleas, before Lord Loughborough, May 19, 1788. 4to. 2s. Kearfley.

This was an iue directed out of the Court of Chancery, to the Com mon Pleas, and the cafe from which it fprung was fimply this:-The Countess of Strathmore, in January 1777, executed a deed to trustees, whereby fhe vefted in them, to her own fole ufe, all her eftates. She foon after married the defendant, Andrew Robinson Stoney, Efq; who took the name of Bowes. In May the fame year, Lady Strathmore executed a fecond deed, whereby the revoked the first, and vested all her eftates in her husband. The queftion was, whether this fecond deed was obtained by durefs? The jury found in the affirmative, and the Lady thereby recovers her fortune. Many curious, and, to the lovers of fcandal, entertaining pârticulars, came out in the courfe of the evidence, and the pleadings of the counfel; into which, however, it would be improper for us to enter.

MUSIC.

Art. 69. Senfe agaift Sound; or, a Succedaneum for Abbey Mufic. 4to. 25. Stalker. 1788.

We used to imagine that Dr. Monro, and his affiftant keepers and matrons of Bethlem, took better care of their patients, than to fuffer thofe fit only for a ftrait waistcoat to be indulged with pen and ink. This is letting them loofe on the public with an inftrument in their hands as dangerous as that of the Irish Mohawk in Queen Anne's time, who used to run about the streets in the dufk of the

evening,

evening, armed with a pen-knife, with which he flit the nofe of every single paffenger he met, crying out, when the bloody deed was done," Arrah, my dear, I beg your pardon, but it's a way I have;”—and then ran away in purfuit of another victim.

That the Drawcan fir who has penned this rhapfody is, or ought to be, in Bethlem, no one will doubt who has patience to read a fingle page of his rhapfody, in which not only King, Lords, and Commons are abused, but divines, phyficians, and orators, as well as every musician, male and female, who falls in his way; and this is to pass for wit and humour. Sarcafm and ridicule are often made pleasant and ufeful in the hands of those who know how and when to adminifter them properly; but fuch indifcriminate and clumfy fatire as this can be acceptable to none but black fanatics, who not only execrate mufic, but all fcience, ingenuity, and elegant arts, to whatever pious or ufeful purposes they may be applied. That the commemoration of Handel, and its anniverfaries, have been mifchievous, would be difficult to prove, though it is eafy to demonftrate the advantages that have been derived from them, if a ferious reply were neceffary to fuch ravings as this pamphlet contains. For whatever may have been the original motives of the patrons of this celebration; whether the general love of mufic, or exclufive admiration of an individual musician; whether national honour, and gratitude to a deceafed artist, or the propagation of their own mufical tafle and opinions, to the utter extinction of every fpark of living genius foreign and domeftic, were the ftimuli, the throwing fo many thoufand pounds into the lap of charity, by a voluntary tax upon the curiofity of the lovers of fuch an idle but innocent art as mufic, was an expedient which merits the thanks of the Public, and the praises of much better writers than the author of Senfe against Sound.

HERALDRY.

Art. 70. The Pocket Peerage of England, Scotland, and Ireland; containing the Defcent and prefent State of every noble Family; with the extinct, forfeited, and dormant Titles of the three Kingdoms. Alfo general and particular Indexes, and Tranflations of their Mottos. 12mo. 2 Vols. 7 s. Boards. Rivingtons, &c.

Obfcurus fio.

But had he lived in thete days, and been writing a Pocket Peerage of England, c. (rather unlikely, though, by the bye), inftead of a Treatife De Arte Poetica, he would have entirely reverfed his affertion; here, the thorter the author, the clearer and more intelligible to his reader; for when the makers-out of pedigrees are tracing the great-great-great-grandfathers, and mothers, and coufins of fifty removes, loft and bewildered, ten to one but he commits fome very important blunder in his noble and beneficial researches. Left we too fhould be confufed and confounded, we have not run the hazard of clofely examining the line of ancestry of each family here made out; but we affure our Readers, that the publication has all the appearance of being correct, has been revised to the end of last year,

and

and is accompanied by neat engravings of the arms, frontispieces, &c. and the particulars mentioned in the title-page.

THEOLOGY.

Art. 71. A Difcourfe on Prayer, addreffed to an Affembly of Protestant Diffenters, August 19, 1787, at the Old Meeting, Birmingham. By John Hobion, Minifter of a Congregation of Proteftant Diffenters at Kingswood, Worcestershire. 8vo. 6d. Dilly. 1787.

Prayer, in the more limited fenfe of the term, as it denotes petition, is here talked about in a tone of familiarity not very fuitable to the fubject. The Author feems to have given fome offence by the difcourfe, and appeals to the Public to determine whether he has afferted that a man ought, or ought not, to pray to the Deity. As the writer is not very clear in his affertions, or accurate in his reafonings, we shall not take upon us the decifion of the question in difpute.

Art. 72. Jefus Chrift the true God, and only Object of fupreme Adoration. By J. Hodfon, M. D. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Deighton. 1787.

Miftaken, or otherwife, it must be faid in favour of this writer, that he manifefts the best intentions. Convinced himself, as he apprehends, of the truth, and perfuaded alfo of the importance, of the fentiment for which he contends, he wishes to convince or to confirm others. Dr. Jebb's reafons for refigning his preferments in the church, we are told, led our Author to an oppofite view of the fubject; and Mr. Robinfon's plea for the divinity of Chrift rendered him neutral. In this unpleafant fituation, he determined to enquire and judge for himself; and thefe volumes are the product of his deliberations. In general, we think, he writes with the candour that he profeffes; yet fome expreffions are too much of a fneering and farcastic kind: and we must think him uncautiously and unjuftifiably fevere, when, fpeaking of the introduction to St. John's Gofpel, he obferves, it has been brought forth by the opponents of Chrift's divinity in "fuch questionable fhapes," that fo far as it is poffible for human learning and dexterity in criticifm to "wreft" this part of fcripture to their own deftruction," it has been done.'

The first of these volumes is employed to establish his opinion; the fecond to answer objections: and an Appendix is added, containing obfervations on an Examination of Mr. Robinson's Plea. Of his scheme and arguments the following fhort remarks may, perhaps, convey a flight idea: That the felf-exiftent Deity is unapproachable; that the Son, or glorified humanity, is the medium by, through, or in, which we worship the Father, or Divinity; that in worshipping the Lord Jefus Chrift, we worship the One true and only God, in whom is a Trinity of nature, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, united in one glorified Perfon.' Dr. Hodfon does not aim at criticism, or pretend to much acquaintance with the languages in which the Scriptures were originally written, yet furely fome knowledge of this kind is requifite to a full and fair difcuffion of the fubject. He contents himself with the common English verfion; and though what can properly be called new is not to be expected in a track fo repeatedly

traversed

traversed and examined, the reader may obferve fufficient marks of attention and ingenuity.-Concerning the words of Chrift, In that day ye shall ask me nothing, he offers confiderations to prove that the phrafe that day refers to the time of their heavenly happiness, when their joy would be full and perfect. He feems allo to think that asking in the name of Christ, is intended to mean addreffing the One living and true God, who was anciently made known by the word Jehovah, or God Almighty, under this name of Jefus Chrift.-But we must not enter into the fubject, although we have thought it right to give fome general account of the performance. On mature and impartial reflection, fome readers will, perhaps, be led to conclude, that the difputants on this and other fimilar points, are nearer to each other in their fentiments than they themselves apprehend. What this Author fays concerning the Holy Spirit appears to amount to little more than divine influence or operation, and it would by no means be ftrange, if his account of the bumanity and in-dwelling Deity fhould be conftrued into fomewhat very like Sabellianifm, or Socinianifm.

Art. 73. The Imperfonality of the Holy Ghoft: an humble Endeavour to refute the Opinion that God and his Spirit are two diftin&t Perfons. By J. Marfom. 12mo. 9d. Marfom. 1787.

This little tract, we are told, was firft written for the information of a friend, at his particular request, and is now published with a view of leading the attention of the ferious reader to a diftinguished branch of divine truth. The opinion here maintained, that the Spirit of God means God himfelf, or the divine influence, is not new; but this writer confiders the fubject like an enquirer after truth, and not like one who is actuated by party zeal. He coolly produces the arguments, and endeavours to obviate the objections that may be raifed. He profeffes a defire that the fentiments he advances may be candidly examined, and if they fhould appear to be fupported by reafon and fcripture, he would then indulge a hope that they will meet with a cordial reception.

Art. 74. A full Confutation of the Rev. Mr. John Fletcher's Appeal to Matter of Fact and Common Senfe. By Nicholas Manners. 12mo. 6d. Marfom. 1787.

A continued difpute about free-will, grace, original fin, &c. which begins to grow tedious and irkfome. This writer pronounces on Mr. Fletcher's book, and many others, intended to prove original fin, as written to prove a non-entity. We have only to obferve, that we think it might be as well to lay afide the pen.

Art. 75. The Chriftian Scheme, or Gofpel Method of Salvation, fully opened and clearly fhewn. In a Series of Queftions and Answers, in which the fundamental Principles of the Chriflian Religion are laid down in a piain and eafy Manner, and fo arranged as to form a regular Plan or Syftem; a Plan founded on Divine Authority, and equally confonant to Reafon and scripture. By the Rev. Jofeph Nelfon, Vicar of Skipwith, Yorkshire. 12mo. Is. Rotintons. 1787.

A well-intended performance; the commendable employment of a clergyman for the benefit of his parish. He writes as a minifter of

the church of England, but feems to be rather perplexed with fyftematical divinity. Though we applaud his defign and his diligence, we do not therefore approve all the fentiments and affertions his work contains-for inftance-it is afked in one place,- When are we born of the fpirit ?'- the anfwer is- According to the church of England, when we are baptized for the church maintains, that every infant is by baptifm regenerated with the Holy Spirit.'-Now to fay nothing of the doctrine here advanced-what thoughtful perfon can avoid feeling fome objection to the argument offered in its fupport -The church of England maintains it ;-therefore—it maft be true! Another church, with like authority, may happen to maintain the oppofite!-This has more the appearance of ftate-divinity, than of Christianity; and we must think that Mr. Nelfon's Scheme is not always fo confonant to reafon and fcripture as the title-page expreffes. At the fame time, we hope, and think, that this wellmeant performance may contribute to promote virtue and piety among thofe for whom it is intended.

Art. 76. The Spiritual Privileges connected with the primitive Chrißiian's Faith, Worship, and Practice; as founded on the Unity of God, the Precepts and Example of Jefus the Mediator of the New Covenant. By James Strephon, Author of Epaphras's Letters in Defence of the Unity of God. 12mo. is. Johníon. 1787.

This writer, with every deference to divines, juftly confiders the ftudy of divinity as the common bufinefs of every man for himself, the plebeian, as well as the divine or philofopher.' His defign is to fupport the principles of the Unitarians, not merely as oppofed to the doctrine of the Trinity, but other points, of vicarious punihment, imputed righteoufnefs, fatisfaction, &c. He earneftly wishes to form a fociety on the plan which he here briefly proposes: at the fame time that he speaks very handfomely of the congregation in Effex Street, he adds,- It is too refpectable, to afford a fuitable fociety to men walking in a more humble fphere of life than themfelves.' He intimates that this has been proved to him by a number of inftances. Concerning this we have nothing to fay; except that it would be a reflection on any Christian fociety to feem to neglect those in inferior stations. Mr. Strephon appears to be a pious and good man, and well acquainted with his fubject, though his language is not always the most elegant.

1. On the Influence of the prefent Pursuits in Learning as they aft Religion; preached before the University of Cambridge, on Commencement-Sunday, July 2, 1786. By William Purkifs, D.D. F.S. A. 4to. 15. Cadell, &c.

[This article has been delayed, in confequence of an accident.] The fubject of this difcourfe is admirably fuited to the occafion, and is fo important in itself that it would have afforded us fingular pleasure to have feen it difcuffed more at large. The influence of learning on religion is one of thofe points which appear to us not fufficiently confidered; and hence individuals are charged with con

fequences