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Queenhithe and Holy Trinity, Vicar of Chiswick, and Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majefty. 12mo. Is. Rivingtons. 1787. As we turned over the pages of this little volume, we began to think that the good Vicar of Chifwick had prepared 66 meat for ftrong men," instead of " milk for babes ;" but when we reperufed the title-page, and obferved that his work is chiefly calculated for the elder children,' the objection we were forming was in a great measure removed; yet ftill we think, that in respect both of matter and language, greater powers of digeftion will be required, than his young parishioners' in general will be found to poffefs.The performance, however, is, on the whole, as refpectably executed as it is well intended.

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Art. 51. Apoftolical Conceptions of God, propounded in a Course of Letters to a Friend. 8vo. 2 S. Dodfley, &c. 1786. This anonymous Writer fets out with the following remark: • It feems to be now generally acknowledged, that natural religion, the topic of difpute among the learned of the last century, is a mere chimera, without foundation either in experience, history, or reason.' Whence he draws fo extraordinary a conclufion we are not told; but we must own ourselves rather furprised at the affertion. Had he, indeed, infifted, that the discoveries of mankind on the subject of natural religion were very imperfect and defective, we should have agreed with him. Or, had he farther faid, that fome writers have ascribed more, in this respect, to the ability of man, than fact and experience would entirely justify,' we should not have objected; fince it is certain, that the human mind may heartily approve of truths and obligations, properly prefented to it, the knowledge of which it could not with any clearness and certainty have itself attained. We therefore wonder that this Author, who, with all his mysticism, must be allowed to exhibit fome marks of fenfe and learning, should have laid down fuch a propofition.

One principal defign of thefe Letters is to prove, that the name Jehovah, or, as it is here uniformly written, Jeve, belongs folely to Chrift and his Spirit; or, in the Writer's own words, That the holy Father of our Lord Chrift cannot be comprehended, or at all purported or concluded, in the name Jeve; and that confequently, by the name Jeve is defigned, fingly and alone, the divine Logos, or Angel- God, together with his Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of God; and that Jeve is the name, by no means of the Holy Trinity, but of the Holy Duality, Jeve and his Spirit.'

This, to fome of our Readers, will, no doubt, feem unintelligible jargon; yet they will much mistake, if they hence infer that the Letter-writer is deftitute of capacity or erudition.

Whether he is a

Behmenift, or Hutchinfonian, or Swedenborgian, or unites with them all, we will not enquire; nor fhall we pretend to accompany him in his argument, illuftrations, and obfervations. He confiders his doctrine as of high importance to the interefts of mankind, to which he appears to be a real friend. His ftyle has a remarkable fingularity let the Reader judge by fome extracts.

He who would affize the realities of the celeftial life to the partial ideas he gleans by impreffions on him from the things of this, to them fo incommenfurate, muft furely default in the attempt, and

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complicate abfurdities not less than those of the blind man, who compared the intelligence given by light and colours to the different modulations of a founding trumpet.'

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The following fentence, though not very clear to all readers, may receive fome allowance from the fimile which is introduced. The gofpel has the properties of an anamorphotic fpeculum, reprefenting, in one point of view, its objects as confused, obfcure, and mingled; in another as deformed and enormous; yet, in its proper obvertion, as moft beautiful and juft in its right fymmetry and regularity. Thus is the gofpel to be beheld in its due fymmetry only when obverted to our eyes in its own theorems and postulates." In another place: It feems that the fame glorious prefence, which perfcinds and convulfes the wicked with terrors, folaces and exhilarates the abfolved with complacence and confidence, fiducially, filially, fruitively.'

·

In the last Letter it is faid: You believe the Scriptures to be the word from heaven; conclude then that all fentiments contraposed to this facred word must diffent from reality, and be naturally traductive into error and obfcurity; I might fay into idolatry, for it is a fure truth, however difavowed, that all darkened mifprincipled understandings being prone to fuperftition and enthufiafm, are indeed in the direct road to idolatry; for the fame magnetic efficacy which, latent in them, affuades to the one, conducts to the other. The great, the gay, the happy, the delicate, the polite, the jovial, the libertine, the elegant, and the voluptuous, whofe minds are ftagnant in the phlegma and the indifference of infidelity and scepticism, are already idolaters in fact; and they need only the adhibition of a few alarming terrors, diftreffes, calamities, and exigencies, to fink them into the groffeft practices of idolatrous reverence, allegiance, and fealty to illufive fpirits. Natural is the tranfition from prejudice to bigotry.'

Thus have we given our Readers a fpecimen of the peculiarity and quaintnefs of this Writer's manner; as to his opinions, we leave them to the investigation of more difcerning readers.

Art. 52. A Demonftration, that true Philofophy has no Tendency to undermine Divine Revelation, and that a well-grounded Philofopher may be a true Chriftian. By Cæfar Morgan, A. M.*. To whom the honorary Prize was adjudged by Teyler's Theological Society at Haarlem, April 1785. 8vo. 2 S. Cadell. 1787.

The notion that has prevailed, that divine revelation and true philofophy are inconfiftent with each other, has been injurious to the interests of both. Among those who have been ambitious of the honour of ranking with philofophers, it has created a contempt for revelation; among certain zealous, but injudicious friends of religion, it has encouraged myfticism and abfurdity. The Author of this piece has, therefore, rendered an important fervice both to religion and philofophy, by fhewing that the purfuits of the latter are favourable to the interefts of the former.

In order to establish his point, Mr. Morgan, with great clearness of reafoning, and with much ftrength and precifion of language,

Chaplain to the Bishop of Ely.

maintains,

maintains, that the fundamental principles of revelation and of philofophy are confiftent with one another: that the act of investigation, judiciously conducted, far from producing doubt and uncertainty, leads to rational conviction; and that knowledge itself has, in its own nature, a tendency, not to introduce unbelief, but to prepare the mind for the reception of revelation. He then concludes with examining the caufes which have given rife to that prejudice against philofophy, which has fubfifted among fome defcriptions of men in almost every age of the Chriftian church.

In this piece we have a connected train of reasoning, which does not easily admit of detached extracts, but which will very well reward the reader for the trouble of an attentive perafal of the whole. As far as was poffible in the form of a general effay, the Author has done juftice to his fubject, and has therefore merited, not only the Haarlem honorary prize, but the thanks of the friends of religion and philofophy.

*

* Our Readers may expect a farther account of this Differtation, as a foreign article, in our next Appendix, which will be published, as ufual, with the Review for January 1788.

Art. 53. Interesting Views of Christianity: Being a Tranflation of a
Part of a celebrated Work of M. Bonnet, intituled, Recherches
Philofophiques fur les Preuves du Chriftianifme. 12mo. 2s. 6d.
Boards. Dilly. 1787.

M. Bonnet is well known as an ingenious and able advocate for
Christianity. The leading proofs of the divine miffion of Christ are
here reprefented in a manner peculiarly adapted to engage attention
and produce conviction. Though, for want of the fupport of hifto-
rical authorities, this piece will not fuperfede the use of those writ
ings which give the evidences of revelation more at large, it may
very properly be put into the hands of young perfons, as an accom-
paniment to fuch works, with the view of interefting the imagina-
tion, and the heart, in the important subject of which it treats.
Art. 54. An Abstract of the Gospel Hiftory, in Scripture Language.
Izmo. 6 d. Johnfon. 1787.

Defigned, and very well adapted, for improving those who attend Sunday fchools, in reading, and for inftructing them at the fame time in the Chriftian religion.

Art. 55. A Differtation on Singing in the Worship of God; interspersed with occafional Strictures on Mr. Boyce's late Tract, intituled, "Serious Thoughts on the prefent Mode and Practice of Singing in the Public Worship of God." By Dan. Taylor. 12mo. 6d. Buckland.

This Writer is of the Baptift denomination, and is known on account of several small publications. He appears here as an advocate for the practice above mentioned. Although he is by no means averse to what is called Singing in Parts, he fenfibly observes, that when the fubject is carefully confidered, it will perhaps appear, that the fimpleft and plaineft manner of finging will answer the best end in moft churches.' He reafons well in fupport of the practice, and anfwers objections that have been offered on the fubject. He principally confines himself to thofe arguments in its vindication which

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be collected from the Scriptures. The ftyle of our Author is not
very elegant; but he is not deftitute of either fenfe or learning.
Art. 56. A View of the Prophecies of Jefus Chrift, in the Old
Teftament, arranged and fulfilled in the New Teftament: By
way of Question and Answer. By the Rev. John Duncan, of
Winbourn-Minfter, Dorfet. 12mo. 3 d. Matthews, &c. 1787.
This little performance has had a quick fale: the prefent is the
third edition. It is intended for youth in general, but particularly
for the ufe of Sunday fchools, an inftitution which the Author re-
commends with great fervency. It is defirable that the poor as well
as others fhould know fomething of the arguments in fupport of
their faith that which arifes from prophecy is fo important and ob-
vious, that it seems commendable to endeavour to acquaint them
with it. This View might, no doubt, be improved without much
enlargement. When we have faid that the defign is good, we need
add nothing farther concerning it.

Art. 57. An Effay on the Gift of Tongues, proving that it was not the
Gift of Languages. In a Letter to a Friend. 8vo. 2 s. 6 d.
Johnfon. 1786.

The intention of this publication is to prove, that the speaking in tongues was not fpeaking in languages, but that it was fpeaking in tones.' This affertion, ftrange as it appears, our Author has been at no fmall pains and trouble to defend, by feveral fpecious and plaufible arguments; which can, however, have no weight, unless they can be fupported by proofs that the Greek word yawooa fignifies tones, or mufic. He endeavours to prove, that the gift of tongues, or, as he would have it, the gift of tones, was the immediate effect of the Holy Ghoft. This we can readily allow; but what shall we fay of the following? • Account for it how you will, it is an uncontrovertible fact, that though many gifts are afcribed to the Spirit, yet fpeaking in tongues is the only one which is afcribed to the Spirit's falling upon men; and that the gift of the Holy Ghoft means not the gift of miracles in general, but determinately the gift of tongues."

We think it unneceffary to lay any of the Author's arguments before our Readers: moft of them are hypothetical, and none of them fatisfactory, while the original word militates fo ftrongly against them.

SERMONS.

I. A Future State difcovered by Reafon : Preached in the Cathedral
Church, Peterborough. By the Rev. John Weddred, Vicar of St.
John Baptift, Peterborough, and Member of Trinity College,
Cambridge. 4to. Is. Rivington.

So much injudicious pains are now taken to bring the Unitarian controverfy into notice among the laity, very few of whom are, of themselves, inclined to be troubled with theological difputes, that we have here a fermon against Dr. Priestley, directly and by name. Dr. P. having repeatedly advanced, that the light of nature gives us no information concerning a future ftate, Mr. Weddred endeavours to refute this opinion; but we do not perceive that he has advanced any thing new upon the fubject, or indeed fupported the important

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point, on which he treats, with the evidence it admits, and which has already been adduced with great ftrength and clearnefs, by feve ral able writers, particularly by the prefent Bishop of London, in his excellent fermon on the moral arguments for a future state of retribution.

II. Preached at the Vifitation of the Rev. Thomas Knowles, D. D. Official of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury, holden at Lavenham, September 28th, 1786. By Samuel Darby, M. A. Rector of Whatfield, Suffolk. 4to. Is. Payne, &c. 1786.

A fenfible ingenious difcourfe, from a difficult text, Mark, ix. 49, 50 For every one shall be falted with fire, &c. On this paffage the Preacher has fome critical remarks; and at the fame time he addreffes both clergy and laity in a ferious and useful manner. He conjectures concerning the word rug in the above paffage, that it may be a variation from the original reading, and obferves, that Tugs, or, contractedly, mugvos, is ufed by Homer to fignify the wheaten cake prefented to the guests at an entertainment; and farther, that the meat offering ordained by Mofes was a wheaten cake; on which confiderations he modeftly afks, whether we might not read the text, For every wheaten cake (or meat offering) shall be falted; and every facrifice fhall be falted with falt. As an illuftration and fupport of this account, he refers to Levit. ii. 13. from whence the paffage might be a quotation. We allow every merit to the Author's ingenuity, and efteem his diffidence. How far he may be right we prefume not to determine; at prefent we feem rather inclined to the explication he afcribes to Dr. Hurd (though of much older date), which fuppofes the expreffion of being falted with fire alludes to perfecutions, felf-denial, and other afflictions. The Sermon breathes a fpirit of liberality and charity; and we are willing to perfuade ourfelves, that nothing inconfiftent with it is intended, when he speaks/ of the difpute concerning Easter, which fo needlessly divided the Chriftian church. It was (fays he) fettled at last by a general. council, and the fmaller party denominated heretics; a cenfure which they may feem to have deserved-for their obfiinate oppofition in an indifferent matter.' The matter was indeed very indifferent; and therefore we fhould fuppofe Chriftian charity would not infift eagerly on either fide, but leave each quietly to enjoy their opinion. III. At Orange-ftreet Chapel, Leicefter Fields, on the Death of Dr.

Peckwell *. By John Townsend. 8vo. 6d. Matthews. Contains fome ferious remarks on mortality, with a fhort encomium on Dr. Peckwell, as a man, a Chriftian, and a minifter. Tơ this Mr. T. defigned to have fubjoined an account of the fingular circumstances of the Doctor's death; but the recollection (as he tells us) of bis having been awakened and brought to an experimental acquaintance with the things of God under his preaching, fo deeply affected him, that he found himfelf utterly incapable of executing this part of his intention.

* Late Rector of Bloxham, &c.

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