ink: very good books may have been made by this method; and fo, perhaps, might a very good book of arithmetic, provided the clippings were done with fkill, and the fhreds collected with judgment: but we are forry to add, Mr. Hedley muft neither clip nor fele&t for us.

As to his three forms of book-keeping, it will be fufficient to obferve, that fometime ago the author of a book of arithmetic, for the ufe of fchools, wanting a pretence for adding fix-pence to the price of his book, bethought him of putting a form of book-keeping at the end of it; foon after another author adds two to his publication: and Mr. Hedley, that he might exceed all who have gone before him, has added three.

SERMONS on the late GENERAL FAST, Feb. 4, 1780. I. Preached before the Univerfity of Cambridge. By Richard Watson, D. D. F. R. S. Regius Profefior of Divinity in that University. 4to. Is. Rivington, &c.

We give the precedence to this difcourfe, becaufe, from the peculiar excellence of the Author's fentiments, and the force and elegance of his language, we think it intitled to this diftinction.-We here behold the manly freedom and refolution of the honest Briton, so admirably blended with the moderation and piety of the good Chriftian, that while we are animated by the fpirit of the one, we are improved by the principles of the other. The learned and ingenious Profeffor deals not in that ftrain of loofe and empty declamation, fo common on fuch occafions. He does not facrifice fenfe to found; nor fupply the want of argument by the abundance of metaphor. He delivers his opinion with a decency which does credit to his manners, and with a firmnefs which is confiftent with integrity. An ancient Roman would have applauded his zeal; and a primitive Chriftian would have acknowledged the juftnefs of it. He hath not funk religion into politics: he hath founded politics on religion. In a word, for dignity and liberality of fentiment-for energy and perfpicuity of language-and for an unaffected spirit of honefty and plain-heartedness, which infpires the whole, we, without hesitation, rank this difcourfe in the firft clafs of pulpit productions.

We think the following quotations will please all but the flaves of a corrupt ftate, who, under the pretence of national glory, will facrifice every duty of common juftice and general benevolence;though, indeed, national good is only the pretence, the real motive is private interest.

The councils of princes are ufually governed, either by the princes themselves, or by a few individuals of their own appointment, who being in most countries free from human animadverfion, and the fear of punishment, too frequently fuppofe themselves fuperior to all controul. Men of this ftamp, if they do not look upon religion as a human contrivance, invented by ftatefmen to keep the ignorant in awe, are apt to confider its influence as limited by the concerns of private life. The profperity of the ftate, or, which is with them, the fame thing, the gratification of their ambition, or any other paffion, they think, may be profecuted by all poffible means. In public tranfactions they acknowledge no juftice but what fprings from utility, and is regulated thereby. The fanctity of

treaties

treaties is defpifed: guaranties are broken as foon as made: and they confider him as a forry politician indeed, who expects that any nation will adhere to its engagements longer than while it is their intereft not to break them. There can be no doubt, that individuals profeffing principles fuch as thefe are not Chriftians. They may be potent princes; experienced statesmen; able generals:-but they are not Chriflians. Chriftianity, in its regards, iteps beyond the narrow bounds of national advantage in queft of univerfal good. It doth not encourage particular patriotifm in oppofition to general benignity; or prompt us to love our country at the expence of our integrity; or allow us to indulge our paffions to the detriment of thoufands. It looks upon all the human race as children of the fame father, and wishes them equal bleffings:-in ordering us to do good; to love as brethren; to forgive injuries; and to itudy peace. It quite annihilates the difpofition for martial glory, and utterly debafes the pomp of war.

It is not here infinuated, that a nation of Chriftians is bound to give way to the depredations of an unjust invader. That would not be doing good, but harm. It would be encouraging the wicked to opprefs the innocent. But though the right of just defence be certainly allowed us, upon the principles of Chriftianity, yet woe be to that man who puts us to the neceffity of ufing it!-who, from motives of pride, ambition, intereft, or refentment, commences, or carries on an unjuft war! He may chance to meet with the favour of his prince; be extolled by his fellow-citizens; admired by furrounding nations; yet muft he anfwer for his conduct at a tribunal, where princes cannot protect him, nor the praises of the people follow him ; nor reafons and neceffities of ftate, much lefs prejudices and paffions, be urged in his defence. Divefted of the pride of office, and the infolence of power, he must there ftand a defolated, unprotected individual. The tears of the widow and the orphan will be produced against him, and the blood of thousands will cry aloud for venge

ance.

• There is scarcely a court or council in Europe, in which private intereft has not made fhipwreck of men's confciences. This is a fore evil every where, beyond the example of former times. It is faid to be a national evil amongst ourselves: and on a day, fuch as this, when we confess a nation's fins, want of political principles fhould not be overlooked. I mean not to offend any party: but if truth can be offenfive, I fear not in fpeaking truth to offend them all. He, who from apprehenfion or expectation, from gratitude or refentment, or from any other worldly motive, speaks or acts contrary to his decided judgment, in fupporting or oppofing any particular system of politics, is guilty of a great fin, the confequences of which no worldly intereft can compenfate.'- Probity is a uniform principle: it cannot be put on in our private clofet, and put off in the councilchamber, or the fenate. And it is no inconfiderable part of probity to speak, as occafion offers, with boldness, and to act with firmness, according to the dictates of confcience. Did all men do this, which it is unquestionably each man's efpecial duty to do, and which, but for fome dirty profpect of intereft, every man would do, the world would be much better than it is. He who acts contrary to convic

tion as a public man, let him boast what he will of his integrity as a private man, ftill he is not the honeft man he ought to be:-if he doubts the affertion- -let him lay his hand on his heart :-it will throb with conscious shame, and tell him it is true.'

We have made larger extracts from this fermon, than we are accuftomed to do from a fingle discourse. Their excellence and propriety will be our best apology.

II. Preached before the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in the Abbey Church, Westminster. By John Lord Bishop of St. David's. 4to. I s. Davis.

This fermon bears few traces of profound judgment, and discovers very little skill in compofition. It is calculated to flatter the haughtinefs of authority. The reft is nought but what might have been the production of any Curate in his Lordship's diocefe-a loose, general, and indefinite harangue on the trite topics of fin and reformation: -rebellion and loyalty!

III. Preached before the Honourable Houfe of Commons, at the Church of St. Margaret's, Weftminster. By George Horne, D. D. Prefident of Magdalen College, Oxford, and Chaplain in Ordi nary to his Majefly. 4to. 15. Rivington.

Dr. Horne is an ingenious writer; and his fermons abound with the beauties of fentiment and language. He is, however, too much inclined to a myftic method of interpretation; and he frequently pays his orthodoxy a very poor compliment, by feeking a refuge for it in allegory, when it lofes its fupport in plain fcripture, and common fenfe. If we had not known Dr. Horne to be a churchman at all points, we should have fufpected that he had been indebted for many of his Scripture allufions to the Prefbyterian fermons preached before the Parliament, in the last century. Their political principles, indeed, are quite at variance with each other: but their theological fentiments have a very near affinity: and references to the Old Testament-to Lot and Affur; to Ifrael and Reuben; are as common with the one as with the other.

But Dr. Horne might have dealt in mystery and metaphor, if his fancy had led him to an amufement of that fort. We might have fmiled at feeing a grave divine playing with texts of Scripture before the House of Commons. But we think the Doctor had fomething worfe than a play toy in his head, when he penned and delivered the following paragraph.

He [viz. Jehovah] looketh on all the inhabitants of THIS land, and confidereth all THEIR works. And when he thus looketh, what doth he behold?- He beholdeth the faith once delivered to the faints, deferted for the dregs of Socinianifm ;-a fet of men, ftyling themfelves philofophers, wantoning in all the paradoxical abfurdities of fcepticism, leaving us, between them, neither matter nor Spirit, neither body nor foul, and doing their best endeavours in their lives, and after their deaths, to render us a nation literally without God in the world."

This jingling and affected allufion to Dr. Priestley is equally uncandid and unjuft. Styling themselves philofophers! No, Mr. Prefident! the Doctor never affumed the title. All Europe hath given it to him, Leaving neither matter nor fpirit!' He hath left

what

what will effectually answer every purpofe of the Gospel. He hath left man, whatever he may be compofed of, in the hands of the God who created him out of nothing:-he hath left him to be judged by the everlasting Gofpel at the Great Day, when his "corruptible fhall put on incorruption, and his mortal be clothed with immortality."

IV. Preached in the Cathedral, Canterbury. By the Honourable and Rev. James Cornwallis, LL. D. Dean of Canterbury. 4to. 6 d. Robion.

A ferious and candid difcourfe, containing many juft and pious reflections on the interpofition of divine Providence, in the various revolutions of states and empires. The text, as well as the occafion, led immediately to fuch reflections. Job xii. ver. 23. "He enCreafeth the nations and dellroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations and ftraiteneth them again." The following remarks are ingenious and pertinent. Amidst the univerfal cenfures upon our enemies, we are not to forget our own fituation, or be blind to our own failings: and neither the flagrancy of their public offences, nor the ftriking licentioufnefs of their manners, ought, in the smallest degree, to shake our belief in the Supreme Governor of the world. Theft, their iniquities, do not at all leffen the probability of their being employed as inftruments to humble us. The Babylonians, at the time of the Jewish captivity, were inferior to the Jews in morality; and the most horrid and unparalleled crimes ftain the annals of the Romans, about the time of the destruction of Jerufalem But as thefe events had been foretold, there can be no room for thinking that they were not directed by the immediate hand of God. They' evidently were fo. To the Jews much had been given, and of them, therefore, the more was required.' The application of thefe reflections to our own country, privileged to fo high a degree, is obvious and ftriking.

V. National Depravity, the Cause and Mark of Divine Judgment upon a Land, &c. from Luke xiii. 3. By Benjamin Dawson, LL. D. Rector of Burgh, in Suffolk. 4to. 6 d.

Wilkie.

Contains fome good obfervations on the propenfity, too common with mankind, to conclude from particular events, that great fufferings are the immediate confequences of divine judgments. The conclufion, when it relates to individuals, is generally the effect of ignorance, bigotry, and perfonal hatred. After guarding his hearers, according to the example of our Saviour, in the verfes which precede the text, againft rash and uncharitable judgment, the Doctor obferves, that though we have no right to pronounce when, and on whom, the judgments of God are brought from any calamities that befal others, yet that fin and wickednefs tend to bring them upon a land and nation, and that the text fhews us, in a very awful declaration, how afflictive vifitations of heaven fhould affect us, and be improved by us." Except ye repent, ye fhall all likewife perish."

The concluding part of this difcourfe is lefs of a practical, and more of a political nature. Neither the church nor the fate (i. e. as they now are) will conclude much on the Doctor's orthodoxy. In a note, he makes an apology for the freedom he hath taken with the latter in this difcourfe. The perfons the most ready to make a com

4

plaint

333

plaint on this head, are thofe, he fuppofes, who would be perfectly content, on fome days of ftate-appointment-fuch as the martyrdom of the BLESSED king; the restoration, &c. &c. to liften to doctrines and maxims of the most dangerous and pernicious tendency; fuch as, paffive obedience and non-refiftance-the divine and bereditary right of kings, &c. &c.'How far the Doctor's apology will be admitted, must be left to the determination of his readers.

VI. Preached and published for the Ufe of the Parishes of Boneleghe and Lufhleigh, in the County of Devon. By Robert Tripp, A. M. Chaplain to the Earl of Egremont. Evo. 6d. Exeter printed for Thorn.

It is in vain for a man to fay that he publishes a fermon for the use of his parishioners. When it is fent abroad into the world, it invites the reading, and virtually appeals to the judgment, of every one. Mr. Tripp muft not think of fhielding himfelf beneath the modeft pretence of his title-page. He fufficiently difcovered his weakness, by preaching fuch a futile, puerile fermon, even to the poor fouls of Boneleghe and Lufhleigh. His publishing it betrayed his vanity, and exposed that incapacity for literary compofition, which, but for this unlucky ftep, might never have got beyond the walls of his parish churches.

VI. A national Change in Morals, in Meafures, and in Politics, necef fary to national Profperity. 8vo. I s. Cadell.

If we mistake not, this Sermon was announced in the public papers, as the performance of a Chefhire clergyman.' The Author informs us, in his preface, that he hath no connection either with the leaders of, or the dependents on, administration; with those who distribute, or those who enjoy the honours and emoluments of office. Much lefs does he think, and much less has he to do with the demagogues or their dupes; with the political empirics, or the fubjects of their impofition; with the original venders, or the fmall dealers in fedition; with the rebels, their agents, accomplices, or afsociations.' This Sermon bears a ftriking refemblance of the malignant spirit which infpires the writings of that political empiric,' Dr. Shebbeare. The fame indifcriminate abufe of all the members of the Oppofition-the fame infolent and prefumptuous arraignment of fecret motives, which are the notorious characteristics of Dr. Shebbeare's productions, difgrace the Sermon before us. If it be really the compofition of a clergyman, and if it was indeed preached to any congregation of Chriftians, we are forry for it. His zeal for the government hath led him to tranfgrefs all the bounds of modefly and candour. He converted the pulpit into a theatre of fcandal and defamation. He forgot the very first defign of a day of humiliation; and in his rage to caft out one devil, "took with him feven other

devils more wicked than the firft."

This Writer, who calls the gentlemen of the Oppofition, a needy and noify party,'-who are inceffantly morofe, querulous, and creaking, a rancorous, unrelenting, malignant, difappointed, defperate faction, whofe fole mortification is to be out of place, and whose bittereft vexation is never to be credited by thofe they threaten;" defcends fo low, so very low in the vocabulary of abuse and scurrili

ty,