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VI. The Success of the Gospel, through the Miniftration of weak and finful Men, a Proof of the Power, Wisdom, and Goodness of GOD.Before the Scots Church, London-Wall, December 22, 1774, at the Ordination of the Revd. Charles Nicholfon, A. M. one of the Ministers of the British Reformed Church at Amsterdam. By Henry Hunter, D. D. To which is added, The Charge, by the Revd. George Turnbull. 8vo. I S. Buckland.

*The remainder of the Sermons in our`next.

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the AUTHORS of the MONTHLY REVIEW. GENTLEMEN,

'UPON

PON looking into your Review for July laft, a few days ago, I met with, what appears to me, an error which I did not perceive before; among the explanations of fome obfolete words and expreffions, in Warton's Hiftory of English Poetry. The word "faucon," p. 57, which is there intrepreted a bird, I apprehend muft certainly mean a falchion, or broad, crooked kind of fword. I dare fay, upon re-examining the paffage, you will be of my opinion. I am, Gentlemen, with much entertainment,

Jan. 14, 1775.

Your conftant Reader,

CANDIDUS.

We have attended to the paffage referred to by this Correfpondent, and are obliged to him for favouring us with his opinion, though certainly wrong; the paffage runs thus:

A faucon brode in hond he bare
For he thoght he wolde thare
Have flayne Richarde with treafowne
Whan his colte fholde knele downe
As a colte fholde fouk his dame,

And he was ware of that fhame.

The foldan carried a falcon in his hand, that Richard's horfe, hav ing been accustomed fo to do in hawking, might kneel down at the fight of the bird, and give him an advantage over his rider. But Richard was aware of the fham. Brode for brood; the kind, or poffibly a young falcon, the horse being taught to kneel to take fuch "upon hand in training. The Hiftorian's interpretation is evidently right.

In answer to our Correfpondent from Portsmouth, it will be fufficient to observe, that we have faithfully related the fact to which he refers, as Dr. Irving has ftated it; and we do not apprehend that his account is at all obfcure or imperfect; much less that we are chargeable with negligence in fuffering it to pafs unnoticed. Had Dr. I. any where affirmed, that the mercury in a thermometer plunged into the water at the furface of an unagitated fea rofe higher

See our laft, p. 129, in the account of Capt. Phipps's voyage.

than

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than in the ambient air, the objection of our Correfpondent might have fome force; but as the reverfe appears from our extracts in the page to which he alludes, he feems to have taken needlefs pains. Chemical experiments, whatever may be their refult, cannot be fairly adduced to determine this question; for our Correfpondent muft well know, that to argue, with certainty, from analogy, the cafe and circumftances fhould be precifely fimilar. We are however obliged to any of our Readers, who remark on any real inaccuracies that may efcape us in the hurry of tranfcribing or of printing; but we think they fhould clearly afcertain the millake, before they give themselves the trouble to convict us of it, or lay us under a neceffity of making a reply. We fhall always be attentive to remarks or objections of importance; but our time will not allow us to take notice of those that are imaginary or frivolous: and it should be remembered, that our province is, not fo much to vindicate or expofe the obfervations and reafoning of particular writers, as to furnish our Readers with the means of judging for themselves. We are only accountable for our own remarks on publications that pafs under our notice; but not for any experiments or conclufions which they contain, or which we may extract from them, for the information of our Readers: we must leave authors themselves to answer for thefe, and make our appeal to the Public only for ourselves. น

R-s.

The difpaffionate expoftulation of J. D. claims fome acknowledg ment, although it might be thought that the last paragraph of the offenfive article [fee Review for laft month, p. 120] would have exeufed us from any farther explanation. Our Correfpondent pleads the ability and reputation of the late Prefident Edwards, of New Jerfey, as intitling him to refpect; and adds, that " as long as his Inquiry into the Liberty of the Will, is read, fo long will it be thought, by all unprejudiced perfons, the author of it hath done honour to his fubject." All this may be allowed, without relaxing a tittle from what was faid of his Hiftory of the Work of Redemption; and it may be farther observed, that J. D. hath not offered one word in justification of the last-mentioned performance. We, indeed, proceeded in the direct contrary way; for, in confidering the work then before us, we concerned ourselves no farther with Mr. Edwards, than as the author of that pofthumous work;-a method, certainly, the leaft likely to fubject a reader to any undue bias: and there all the abilities that appeared, were found to have been exceedingly mifapplied.-If J. D. really thinks that Hiftory, &c. is not the product of an enthufiaftic imagination, we have nothing more to offer to his confideration on the fubject; but if he grants that it may be juftly viewed in that light, we must repeat, as our honeft opinion, that fuch publications cannot but operate very perniciously on weak understandings; and that the more ability a writer poffeffes, when his mind takes a fanatical turn, the more mifchief he is capable of doing; especially when his previously acquired credit ftamps a fuppofed value on all that he may fubfequently produce.-If these con fiderations induced us, as friends to RATIONAL RELIGION, to ufe any

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epithet which J. D. may think harsh, the occafion must acquit or condemn us and our Correfpondent will do well to reflect that the importance of a fubject affords no fanction to a ridiculous mode of treating it.

We shall enquire after Dr. Gill's Differtation on the Baptism of Jewish Profelytes, which J. D. recommends to our notice.

Mr. Dunn's Aftronomy is under confideration.

In answer to our Correfpondent, Anti-Duellift, all we can fay' is, that there was an argumentative pamphlet on the fubject under his prefent confideration, published about a year ago, by Baldwin in Paternofter-row, which, if he has not feen, fhould not be overlooked, Whether any thing more of that kind is wanted, himself can beft determine, from a knowledge of the nature of what he has to offer: but it has hitherto been found that the principles of reason are very little attended to by men who are actuated by the current principles of honour. In certain cafes it is eafy to convince any body except the parties we labour to convince; and hence there is a faying that fome men are not to be argued with: perhaps thofe who are led by fashion, may be of this clafs; and it were therefore to be wished that fuch men were properly led in their own manner.

The General Index which our Correspondent wants, has often been the object of our own wishes; but mere withing will not execute a talk that grows every day more difficult to undertake: though we would not be understood to have totally renounced the execution of it.

+++ The Letter relating to Salmon's, Hoppus's, and Green's. books, on the prices of builder's work, is more proper for a Magazine, than a Literary Review.-We know nothing of the work entitled, A Key to Civil Architecture, by Thomas Skaife; nor whether it be a recent or an old publication.

To our READERS:

The number, importance, and temporary nature of the publications relative to our prefent Controverfy with the Calonies, obliges us to poftpone many other Articles; all of which, however, will be inferted, as opportunity, and the limits of our work, may permit.

Notable ERRATA in laft month's Review. P. 104, par. 4, for decads, read duads. The word, thus mistaken, by the printer, occurs four times in this paragraph. P. 187, Art. 42, for to a principal,' r. to be a principal."

In this month

p. 259, par 2..

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THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For APRIL, 1775.

ART. I. An Examination of Dr. Reid's Inquiry into the Human Mind, on the Principles of Common Senfe; Dr. Beattie's Effay on the Nature and Immutability of Truth, and Dr. Ofwald's Appeal to Common Senfe in behalf of Religion. By Jofeph Priestley, LL. D. F. R. S. 8vo. 6 s. bound. Johnson.

HIS examination is dedicated to Dr. Reid, Dr. Beattie, and Dr. Ofwald.

TH

Gentlemen, fays Dr. Priestley, I take the liberty to prefent each of you with a copy of my Remarks on your watings, requesting that you would give them that attention which, according to your own ideas, the subject deferves.

You cannot be justly offended at me for treating you with the fame freedom with which you have treated others. If the public voice, which has hitherto feemed to incline to your fide, fhould, notwithstanding, finally determine in my favour, you will be confidered as bold and infolent innovators in what has hitherto been the received doctrine concerning human nature, and in the fundamental principles of truth and reason. But if your tenets be admitted, and my objections to them be deemed frivolous, I must be content to cover my head with infamy, and fall under the indelible difgrace of a weak or wicked oppofer of new and important truth.'

We are forry to fee fuch language from the pen of Dr. Priestley, of whom it is altogether unworthy. In the name of common fenfe, are Dr. Reid, Dr. Beattie, &c. to be ftigmatized with the opprobrious title of INSOLENT INNOVATORS only for departing from received doctrines and opinions? and, on the other hand, Why fhould Dr. Priestley cover his head with infamy, merely for being mistaken? Has not Dr. Reid, or any other perfon, a right, or rather is it not his duty, to investigate truth, and examine commonly received opinions; and if he fees, or thinks he fees, fufficient reafons for not admitting them, muft he be charged with infolence for rejecting them? Befides, if innovating in philofophical, theological, or political subjects, VOL. LII. be

be fo very criminal a thing, Dr. Priestley, furely, is not without his hare of the guilt, and confequently, ought to have fome compaffion on his brethren in iniquity.-But enough of the Dedication; we now proceed to the Preface, which the Doctor introduces with telling his readers what those who are acquainted with him or his multifarious writings will very readily believe, that nothing could be more unexpected by him, but a very few months ago, than this publication. After mentioning the reafons which induced him to publish, he proceeds:

• Thinking farther upon this fubject, it occurred to me, that the moft effectual method to divert the attention of the more fenfible part of the public from fuch an incoherent fcheme as that of Dr. Reid, and to cftablish the true fcience of human nature, would be to facilitate the study of Dr. Hartley's Theory. I therefore communicated my defign to the fon of that extraordinary man, who was pleased to approve of my undertaking. Accordingly I have now in the prefs an edition of fo much of the Obfervations on Man as relate to the doctrine of affociation of ideas, leaving out the doctrine of vibrations, and fome other things which might difcourage many readers; and introducing it with fome differtations of my own.

Alfo, to fhow the great importance and extenfive use of this excellent theory of the mind, I thought it might be of fervice to give fome fpecimens of the application of Dr. Hartley's doctrine to fuch fubjects of inquiry as it had a near relation to, and to which I had had occafion to give particular attention. And as I had, on other accounts, been frequently requested to publish the Lectures on Philofophical Criticism, which I compofed when I was tutor in the Belles Lettres at the academy at Warrington, this was another inducement to the publication. For it appears to me that the fubject of criticifm admits of the happieft illuftration from Dr. Hartley's principles; and accordingly, in the compofition of those lectures, kept them continually in view.

But the most important application of Dr. Hartley's doctrineof the affociation of ideas is to the conduct of human life, and efpecially the bufinefs of education. I therefore propofe to publifh fome obfervations on this fubject, perhaps pretty foon; and I shall referve for a time of more leifure, and more advanced age, the throwing together and fyftematizing the observations that I am from time to time making on the general conduct of human life and happiness, and on the natural progress and perfection of intellectual beings.

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This work, if I be able, in any tolerable meafure, to accomplish my defign, will contain not merely illustrations, and the most im portant applications of Hartley's Theory, but may contribute in fome meature to the improvement and extenfion of it. Speculations of this kind contribute to my own entertainment and happiness almost every day of my life; and were philofophers in general to attend to them, they would find in them an inexhaustible fund of difquifition, abounding with the most excellent practical ufes; more efpecially infpiring the greatest elevation of thought, continually leading the mind to views beyond the narrow limits of the prefent

ftate,

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