reformation be effected? Not by abufing thofe in power, nor by blaming the prefent mode of instruction, without pointing out a better. With respect to the arguments against fubfcription, the Author has gone over the fame ground which Dr. Jebb had trod before him, adding fome judicious remarks to what had been faid on the subject, on former occafions.

The cenfure on the mifapplication of the money annually allowed for the publication of useful books, is a juft one; that fund was undoubtedly intended to defray the expences of printing original works, or reprinting old and valuable books, fo as to afford them at a moderate price to the ftudent, and not to be fquandered away in giving a fac fimile copy of Beza's manufcript, or a fuperb edition of Taffo. In oppofition to this, however, we must place the fums that have been paid toward Profeffor Waring's new edition of his Meditationes Analytica, Mr. Rehlan's Flora Cantabrigienfis, Mr. Ludlam's Introduction to Algebra and Geometry, Profeffor Cooke's edition of Ariftotle's Poetics, &c.

HISTORY.

Art. 49. Additions and Corrections to the former Editions of Dr. Robertfon's Hiftory of Scotland. 4to. 1s. Cadell. 1787.

A new edition of Dr. Robertfon's Hiftory of Scotland was lately publifhed with fome confiderable additions and corrections. For the fake of thofe perfons who are poffeffed of the quarto edition of 1771, thefe additions and corrections are feparately printed, by which means they may make the edition of 1771 equal to the 11th of 1787.

Among the additions, we have the following defcription of that fpecies of eloquence for which Knox the reformer was diftinguished. It is given by Mr James Melville one of his contemporaries.

But of all the benefites I had that year [1571] was the coming of that most notible prophet and apoftle of our nation, Mr. John Knox, to St. Andrews, who by the faction of the Queen occupying the castle and town of Edinburgh, was compelled to remove there fra with a number of the beft, and chufed to come to St. Andrews. I heard him teach there the prophecies of Daniel that fummer and the winter following. I had my pen and little buik, and took away fic things as I could comprehend. In the opening of his text he was moderat the fpace of half an hour; but when he entered to application, he made me fo to grue [thrill] and tremble, that I could not hald my pen to write. He was very weak. I w him every day of his doctrine go hulie [flowly] and fair, with a furring of marticks about his neck, a staff in one hand, and good godlic Richart Ballanden holding him up by the oxter [under the arm] from the abbey to the parish kirk; and he the faid Richart and another fervant lifted him up to the pulpit, where he behoved to lean at his first entrie; but e're he was done with his fermon, he was fo active and vigorous, that he was like to ding the pulpit in blads [beat the pulpit to pieces], and fly out of it.'

THEOLOGY.

Art. 50. A Treatise on the Church Catechifm; chiefly intended for the Ufe of the elder Children in the Charity and Sunday Schools, in the Parish of Chilwick, By James Trebeck, M. A. Recior of

Queenhithe

Queenhithe and Holy Trinity, Vicar of Chifwick, 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 "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 still we think, that in refped 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.

Art. 51. Apoftolical Conceptions of God, propounded in a Courfe 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, hiftory, or reafon.' Whence he draws fo extraordinary a conclufion we are not told; but we must own ourselves rather furprifed at the affertion. Had he, indeed, infifted, that the difcoveries of mankind on the fubject of natural religion were very imperfect and defective, we should have agreed with him. Or, had he farther faid, that fome writers have afcribed more, in this refpect, to the ability of man, than fact and experience would entirely juftify,' we fhould 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 clearnefs and certainty have itfelf attained. We therefore wonder that this Author, who, with all his myfticifm, muft be allowed to exhibit some 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 style 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 complicate

M m 2

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

The

The following fentence, though not very clear to all readers, may receive fome allowance from the fimile which is introduced. gofpel has the properties of an anamorphotic fpeculum, reprefenting, in one point of view, its objects as confufed, obfcure, and mingled; in another as deformed and enormous; yet, in its proper obvertion, as most beautiful and juft in its right fymmetry and regularity. Thus is the gospel to be beheld in its due fymmetry only when obverted to our eyes in its own theorems and poftulates.'

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 laft Letter it is faid: You believe the Scriptures to be the word from heaven; conclude then that all fentiments contrapofed to this facred word mult 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 fcepticifm, 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 transition 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 Demonstration, 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 thofe 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 myfticifm 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 strength and precision 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 itfelf 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 againft 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 reafoning, which does not easily admit of detached extracts, but which will very well reward the reader for the trouble of an attentive perufal of the whole. As far as was poffible in the form of a general ellay, 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 pub lished, as ufual, with the Review for January 1788.

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

Boards. Dilly. 1787.

M. Bonnet is well known as an ingenious and able advocate for Christianity. The leading proofs of the divine miflion of Christ are here reprefented in a manner peculiarly adapted to engage attention and produce conviction. Though, for want of the fupport of hiftorical authorities, this piece will not fuperfede the ufe of those writings which give the evidences of revelation more at large, it may very properly be put into the hands of young perfons, as an accompasiment to fuch works, with the view of interefting the imagination, and the heart, in the important fubject of which it treats. Art. 54. An Abstract of the Gospel Hiftory, in Scripture Language. 12mo. 6 d. Johnfon. 1787.

Defigned, and very well adapted, for improving thofe 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; interfperfed 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 feveral fmall 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 obferves, that when the fubject is carefully confidered, it will perhaps appear, that the fimpleft and plaineft manner of finging will answer the beft 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 himfelf to thofe arguments in its vindication which

may

may be collected from the Scriptures. The flyle 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 recommends 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 obvious, that it feems commendable to endeavour to acquaint them with it. This View might, no doubt, be improved without much enlargement. When we have faid that the design 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. 2s. 6d. Johnson. 1786.

་

The intention of this publication is to prove, that the fpeaking in tongues was not speaking in languages, but that it was speaking in tones.' This affertion, ftrange as it appears, our Author has been at no fmall pains and trouble to defend, by feveral specious and plaufible arguments; which can, however, have no weight, unless they can be fupported by proofs that the Greek word ywooa 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 fhall 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 speaking in tongues is the only one which is afcribed to the Spirit's falling upon men; and that the gift of the Holy Ghost 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: most of them are hypothetical, and none of them fatisfactory, while the original word militates fo strongly 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. 1s. Rivington.

So much injudicious pains are now taken to bring the Unitarian controverfy into notice among the laity, very few of whom are, of themfelves, 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 fate, 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