Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

40. Essays on public Worship, Patriotism, and Projects of Refor mation. 8vo. IS. Payne.

This writer indulges himself in a freedom and latitude of thinking, with refpect to revealed religion, which will not be agreeable to the generality of readers.

If, fays he, we make any alteration in our religion; let us reduce it at once to piety and morality; and avail ourselves of that acceffion of ftrength which all honeft infidels might afford us. Let us fubftitute bonefty inftead of faith. It is the only foundation of a moral character; and it ought to be the only teft of our religion. It fhould not fignify what, or how little a man believed if he was honest.'

Yet, notwithstanding this and fome other expreffions of the fame nature, there is that candor, philanthropy, and good fenfe in these effays, which will always be acceptable to liberal and philofophical readers.

With regard to a new liturgy, the author expreffes himself in these terms :

[ocr errors]

All fentiments and doctrines therefore but thofe of piety and morality should be excluded; and the language fhould be fimple and plain. The fentiments to be recognized admit of no ornament; they are too excellent and important to admit them. The fancy and the paffions are to be confulted in the fermon and the mufic. The Liturgy fhould confift of plain concise and fignificant truths. The prefent book of Common Prayer would furnish fome materials; and fhould be the model in language; because in English its ftile has been that of devotion. What was wanting might be supplied from the Pfalms and from other compofitions in fuch a manner as to please a confcientious Deift. We might in this manner give a fpecimen of that worfhip which should employ all the creatures of God; and of that candor and charity which are the great honor and happiness of human nature.'

It would certainly be a very defirable thing to have a Liturgy, which might please a confcientious Deift, and, at the fame time, a confcientious Chriftian: but it would not, perhaps, be in the power of human genius to produce it.

41. The Original and Prefent State of Man, briefly confidered. By Jofeph Phipps. 8vo. 25. Hinde.

[ocr errors]

In this tract the author fhews, what are the leading principles of the Quakers: and, at the fame time, he endeavours to prove, that thefe principles are the genuine doctrines of Chriflianity. The great point, which he labours to establish, is, the neceffity, univerfality, and real fenfibility, of the works of God's holy fpirit upon the immortal foul of man, as the vital fource and fupport of true religion in him, and therefore the primary guide of his life and conduct.'-He then proceeds to anfwer the animadverfions, which have been made on their re

ligious

ligious tenets by Mr. S. Newton of Norwich, in a treatife published about two years fince, entitled, The Leading Sentiments of the Quaker's examined.

1

Mr. Phipps appears to be a calm, decent, refpectable advocate for the cause of his fraternity *.

[ocr errors]

42. Multum in Parvo contra Parvum in Multo. Or a Six Days Candid Review of a Six Years Uncandid Controverfy: wherein Mr. Phipp's Arguments in Defence of Quakerifm, in his Obfer. vations, and The Original and Prefent State of Man,' againfi Mr. Newton of Norwich, are fheun to be defective; and the Doctrine of Abfolute Neceffity and Univerfal Redemption fairly deduced from fome of the Quakers Principles, as laid down in Barclay's and Phipps's Writings. Addreffed to the People called Quakers in particular, by one who was formerly a Member of that Chriftian Society. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Richardson and Urquhart. The title-page renders it unneceffary for us to fpecify the contents of this pamphlet.-There are fome good obfervations in it, intermixed with the quifquiliæ of controversy.

MISCELLANEOUS.

43. A Lecture on the Importance and Neceffity of rendering the English Language a peculiar Branch of Female Education; and on the Mode of Inftruction by which it may be made fubfervient to the Purpojes of improving the Understanding, and of inculcating the Precepts of Religion and Virtue. As it was delivered at Hickford's Great Room in Brewer-Street, May 14, 1772. By J. Rice. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Kearfly.

The ingenious author divides this Lecture into two parts. In the first he makes fome general remarks on the prevailing mode of female education, and points out the proper method of teaching yourg ladies the art of reading. In the fecond, he endeavours to fhew, by what means, and in what degree, thefe inftructions may be made fubfervient to the more important purposes of improving the understanding, and inculcating the precepts of virtue and religion.

In this part he expatiates, with an air of complacency and fatisfaction, on the course of education, through which he conducts the young ladies under his immediate care and tuition at Campden Houfe and other places. The books in which he inftructs them are, Mafon on Self-knowledge, Thomson's Seafons, Young's Night-Thoughts, and Milton's Paradife Loft.

In this plan of education Mr. Rice does not leave his pupils without fome grammatical inftructions, though he does not recommend any particular publication on that fubject; which feems a little furprising, as we have an excellent performance of this nature, by one of the most correct and elegant writers of

* See Crit. Rev. vol. xxxii. p. 313.

the

out; from which he takes occafion to fatirize our national turpitude, under fcriptural characters, fuch as, Eglon king of Moab, the duke of Shittim, the earl of Heshbon, my lord Nebo, the archbishop of Pethor, the mayorefs of Kerioth, &c.

There is a kind of wit and fmartness in this performance, which may recommend it to those who are fond of political inveЯtives.

DIVINITY.

36. The Condemnation pronounced against all mere external Pretences of Religion. A Sermon preached at the annual Vifitation of the right rev. the Lord Bishop of Winchester, at Basingstoke, Sept. 14, 1769. By John Duncan, D.D. 8vo. 6d. Dodfley. Dr. Duncan, from the words of his text, Matt. v. 20. takes occafion to confider the character of the Scribes and Pharifees, and the condemnation pronounced by our Saviour against all mere external pretences of religion.

Thefe confiderations lead him to make fome animadverfions on the conduct of those who attack, and those who defend, our established mode of worship and difcipline, with an indecent acrimony of ftile, and illiberal abuse.

Our forms and canons, he thinks, upon the whole, far furpass every thing of the kind, which this imperfect ftate of humanity can boaft. Yet, fays he, if there fhould appear to be a real expediency for a revifal, we fhould concur in every prudent endeavour and seasonable application to procure it.

This very fenfible difcourse escaped our notice, otherwife we fhould have mentioned it at the time of its publication.

CONTROVERSIAL.

37. An Apology for the Renewal of an Application to Parliament by the Proteflant Diffenting Minifters. Addressed to the Thirteen Minifters who protested against it. By Samuel Wilton. 8vo. 1. 6d. Buckland.

This apology was occafioned by a printed paper, containing Reafons against the Renewal of an Application to Parliament by the Proteftant Diffenters, fubfcribed by thirteen ministers.

The author examines the evidence and force of these reasons, and fhews, that the aforefaid application was neither inconfift ent with the principles of orthodoxy, nor thofe of loyalty.A well written pamphlet.

38. An Anfwer to Dr. Rotheram's Apology for the Athanafian Creed; in a Letter to a Friend. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Cadell.

The author of this letter introduces his remarks with fome very proper reflections on the prefumption of thofe, who pretend to explain the myfteries of the divine nature with an air of confidence and decifion. He points out the infufficiency of Dr. Rotheram's Apology; and then confiders what articles are ef fential to the Chriftian faith; and whether any improvements

in

in piety and religion may be expected from the abftrufer doetrines of the Athanafian creed.

This enquiry is conducted with judgment and temper, and a becoming refpect for real piety and a rational faith.

39. A Full Answer to the Catholic Doctrine of a Trinity; proveds &c. by the rev. William Jones. Wherein that Author's Arguments are refuted, and fhewn neither to be confiftent with Reafon nor Scripture. 8vo. 3. Johnfon.

The learned author of this work delivers his fentiments concerning Mr. Jones's performance in the following terms:

When the Rev. William Jones's Catholic Doctrine of a Trinity, proved by above an hundred fhort and clear arguments; expreffed in the terms of holy Scriptures, &c. made its first appearance, the promising title, indorfed with a Vice-chancellor's imprimatur, engaged me to a ferious and candid perufal of the work. But great was my furprize, to find it replete with the moft artful fophiftry instead of found arguments, and of scholaftic niceties, under the fanction of fcripture plain nefs. Obferving, therefore, it was a work that might ferve to mislead the minds of many, I drew up the following remarks upon it, with an intention to publish them, unless fome more judicious pen should be pleased to take the trouble off my hand. But no answer as yet appearing, left the abettors of the Catholic Doctrine, &c. fhould deem the work unanswerable, because no one has, perhaps, thought it worthy of an answer; and the last edition being enlarged with a letter to the common people, tending to draw them ftill farther from the truth as it is in Jefus, I thought it my duty, without further delay, to ftand forth in defence of the faith that was once delivered to the faints.'

[ocr errors]

In one place he says: Our author, confounding his own metaphyfical notion of the Trinity with the exprefs fcripture doctrine itself, infers from hence, though fomewhat too baftily, that whoever cannot find the notion of a Trinity, which he has efpoufed, is an oppofer of fcripture; and that every degree of doubt or difputation against his notion of it is a disbelief of God's word.'

In another: 'It were much to be wished, that our author had oftener confulted the original Greek, than he seems to have done. He felects from the English tranflation paffages of fcripture, which have a word in one place answering to a word in another, and draws conclufions from fuch an accidental agreement, while the original words are very different.'

Again. This writer, without having regard to the context of a paffage in fcripture, or to the defign of the Holy Ghoft in fpeaking it, felects a word or two out of one text, and a fimilar word or two out of another, and then triumphs, as if he had gained a complete victory.'

The author of this tract has endeavoured to prove the truth of thefe charges, by a particular examination of the texts alledged by Mr. Jones.

to at leaft equal poetical merit with his other production; but fhould be glad to find him apply his talents to purposes more virtuous and confiftent with decency.

29. The Paffions Perfonified, in Familiar Fables. 8vo. 59.

Whifton.

The title of this production is fo palpable a mifnomer, that we cannot avoid animadverting upon it. Of thirty-five ideal entities, which the author introduces to our acquaintance, only fix are Paffions; the rett being a motley groupe of allegorical beings, that have not the fmalleft pretenfions to that denomination. In the lift of Paffions, he mentions even Prudence, Juftice, Saturn, the Four Seasons, Poetry, Painting, and Candour. Exclufive of this impropriety, the Fables are for the moft part ingeniously invented, and the action imputed to the feveral fantastic perfonages correfponds to their imaginary characters. We may add, that the moral is generally deduced in a natural manner, if it is not always important. The Fables are twelve in number, to each of which an elegant small engraving is prefixed.

DRAMATICA L.

30. The Siege of Tamor. A Tragedy. By Gorges Edmond Howard, Efq. 3d. Edit. 8vo. Is. 6d. Robinson.

This tragedy is founded upon a transaction in the Irish annals of the ninth century; a period when the manners of that country may be fuppofed to afford room for poetical defcription; of which advantage Mr. Howard has judiciously availed himself. It appears that he had at first concluded the drama with the death of fome of the principal perfonages, but afterwards changed it to a happy iffue, on the opinion of feveral friends, as being the moft confonant to poetical juftice. One of those, however, ftill perfifted against any alteration of the catastrophe. For our own part we are of opinion, that the termination of the tragedy, either the one way or the other, does not materially affect the antecedent acts of the poem; and though we would by no means approve of establishing the idea of poetical juftice into a general law, we confefs ourselves to be pleafed with the obfervance of it in this inftance, as our minds are thereby more agreeably affected at the fate of characters in whole favour the ingenious author has fo deeply interefted the paffions of his audience. The merit of this tragedy authorizes us to rank it amongst the best dramatic productions of modern times; and Mr. Howard does no less honour to Ireland by this happy exertion of his own genius, than by the favourable light in which he has placed the characters of that country.

NOVELS.

« ZurückWeiter »