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point, on which he treats, with the evidence it admits, and which has already been adduced with great strength and clearness, by feveral able writers, particularly by the prefent Bishop of London, in his excellent fermon on the moral arguments for a future ftate 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 fhall 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 serious and ufeful manner. He conjectures concerning the word Tug in the above paffage, that it may be a variation from the original reading, and observes, that wgwoc, or, contractedly, mug, 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) fhall 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 supposes 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 our felves, that nothing inconfiftent with it is intended, when he speaks of the difpute concerning Eafer, which fo needlefsly divided the Chriftian church. It was (fays he) fettled at laft by a general council, and the fmaller party denominated heretics; a cenfure which they may feem to have deferved-for their obftinate oppofition in an indiferent matter. The matter was indeed very indifferent; and therefore we thould fuppofe Chriftian charity would not infit eagerly on either fide, but leave each quietly to enjoy their opinion. III. At Orange-ftreet Chapel, Leicester 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. To 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 his having been awakened and brought to an experimental acquaintance with the things of God under his preaching, fo deeply affected him, that he found himself utterly incapable of executing this part of his intention.

* Late Rector of Bloxham, &c.

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For fuch an omiffion, in a difcourfe delivered extempore, this might be allowed as an excufe. When, however, the Sermon went to the prefs, this defect might eafily have been fupplied, and his readers put in poffeffion of what affection kept from his hearers. We wonder that this was not done, as he must have known the various reports circulated in the public papers, concerning the caufe of Dr. Peckwell's death.

IV. Before the Mayor and Corporation of Rochefter, for the Benefit of the Humane Society. By the Rev. John Ward Allen, A. M. Minor Canon of the Cathedral of Rochester. Svo. 1s. Rivingtons. 1787.

From the words Go thou and do likewife, Mr. Allen exhorts his audience to acts of charity in general; and, defcribing the benefits which individuals and the Public have received from the Society, he more immediately recommends the fupport of fo laudable an inditution.

As an Appendix, Mr. Allen has added fome reflections on premature death, with directions for the treatment of perfons apparently deprived of life.

V. Preached in the Parifh-church of Wanftead, July 15, 1787, in confequence of his Majesty's Royal Proclamation. By Samuel Glaffe, D. D. F. R. S. &c. 8vo. Is. Robinfons. 1787.

A judicious commentary on the late Proclamation, fhewing that it it confiftent with the principles of Chriftianity, and recommending to the audience a due obfervance of it. The text is, 1 Peter, ii. 17.

*** Anfwers to Correfpondents will be given in our next Appendix, now in the prefs, and intended for publication as ufual, at the fame time with our Number for January 1788.

+++ The tract entitled A Draught of a Bill for the Relief and Employment of the Poor was reviewed in our Number for April, 1787. 181 Langham's Sentences, and the Life of a blind Philofopher, concerning which T. W. enquires, cannot be found.

ERRATA in the Review for October laft.

P. 263, 1. 40, for 36726, read 36720.
Ib. After the laft line add,

Fines for leafes, on an average of ten years, from 1772
to 1782, exclufive of 27,100l. paid for two grants
in fee,

Clear average produce in rents and fines per annum,

£. s. d.

7,700 O O

23,383 18 8

We are obliged to the illiberal author of a paper in the Public Advertiser, for his information of the above omiffion (in the Article of the Land Revenue of the Crown) which must have happened through the inadvertence of our compofitor, or tranfcriber, we know not which; nor would that knowledge be material: it is enough that we have profited by the unfriendly attack of an ill-mannered writer,who, himself, was unable to correct the mifprinted paffage.

Erratum in Review for Nov. p. 422, line laft, for ever, read every,

APPENDIX

TO THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

VOLUME the SEVENTY-SEVENTH..

FOREIGN LITERATURE.

ART. I.

Verhandelingen raakende den Natuurlyk en Openbaaren Godsdienft, &c. i. e. Prize Differtations, relating to Natural and Revealed Religion. Publifhed by Teyler's Theological Society at Haarlem. Vol. VI. 4to. 1786.

TH

HE fubject propofed to the competitors for this literary prize was, to prove, that true philofophy has no tendency to undermine divine revelation; and that a well-grounded, a real philofopher, may be a true Chriftian. Of four Diflertations on this fubject, publifhed in the volume before us, that of the Rev. Mr. CASAR MORGAN, Chaplain to the Bishop of Ely, obtained the gold medal, which is the first prize; and it will, no doubt, give the attentive and candid reader an advantageous opinion of the Author's capacity and penetration. We need not be very ample in our account of this Differtation, as Mr. MORGAN has, by publishing it feparately, at home, rendered it acceffible to every English reader. This is not the cafe of the other Difcourfes contained in this volume, which are published in the Dutch language alone.

Mr. MORGAN is of opinion, that revelation and philofophy are not only eafily reconcileable with each other, but that true philofophy is the best friend to divine revelation.We are perfuaded of the truth of this affertion; and we will be bold to add, that as friendfhip is naturally reciprocal, divine revelation has been the potent friend and fofterer of true philofophy. The Chriftian religion gave occafion to the improvement of fome important branches of fcience; for when fuch grand truths as the unity and eternity of God, and the refurrection and immortality of rational beings, were revealed as facts, they naturally excited,

* See Review for December last, p, 508.
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in thinking minds, a curiofity to know the foundations which fuch facts might have in the nature of God, the nature of man, and the nature of things; and hence, among others, metaphyfical fcience undoubtedly derived new degrees of improvement and precision.

Mr. MORGAN fets out, in the difcuffion before us, as every accurate reasoner ought to do, by defining his terms. He calls philofophy, the difcovery of truth by a careful attention to, and investigation of, the appearances and operations of nature. If the principles of philofophy, thus defined, be not inconfiftent with the principles of revelation; if the very act of investigation be not adapted to produce doubt and uncertainty in the mind; and if knowledge itself has not, in its own nature, a tendency to introduce unbelief, it will follow, according to our Author, that philofophy cannot have any tendency to undermine revelation. He thinks no reafon can be affigned that could poffibly fet revelation and philofophy at variance, much lefs at enmity, but one or more of the three now mentioned; and he therefore fets himself to examine whether any of these reasons exist.

The plan is good; and we think it is executed with a mafterly hand. The Differtation contains many judicious, and fome uncommon views. As it obtained, fo, in our judgment, it really deserved, the prize.

In treating the firft of the three points above mentioned, Mr. MORGAN evinces the conformity of philofophical with religious principles; firft, with refpect to natural religion, where he has enlarged more than was neceffary; and fecondly, with respect to the grand fcheme of redemption, of whofe outlines he gives a noble and indeed a truly philofophical sketch, than which, however, fomething more circumftantial, and lefs general, might be required to eftablish, in a folid and luminous manner, his negative on this firft point, and to fhew that the principles of revelation and philofophy are not inconfiftent with each other. Five pages and a half are employed in establishing a friendly concert between natural religion and philofophy, which fome may confider as a reconciliation of philofophy with philofophy; and the fcheme of redemption is brought into the defired coalition in a page and a half: nor have we much more than what may be called the preliminary articles of the treaty.-We can well conceive that Mr. Morgan has had wife and liberal reasons for placing the coalition here on fuch a broad bottom.

His elucidations of the fecond point, in which an argument against the concord of philofophy with Chriftianity is drawn from the fuppofed tendency of the very act of investigation to produce doubt and uncertainty in the mind, are more particular, and more ample, and they are alfo folid and ingenious. He prefumes C that the zealous advocates of revelation would not profcribe

all ufe of reafoning, but fuch a degree of it only as conftitutes a philofopher;' for to exclude all ufe of reafon from religious faith, would be to confound theology with fuperftition and barbarifm. But when a right of appealing to reafon is once admitted, the innocence of philofophy is acknowledged. And as true philofophy, when applied to religion, has for its object an enquiry into the nature and ground of our opinions and principles, the Author fhews with great evidence, that it is not only innocent, but highly ufeful. For as true philofophy improves the faculties, and increases the activity of our minds, it must be of fignal confequence in afcertaining and illuftrating the nature, doctrines, and origin of revelation, and in preparing men for the reception of divine truth. Mr. MORGAN fhews the excellence of philofophy in this particular, by calling our attention to the circumftances of favage nations. The favage (fays he) receives divine truths carelessly, hears them with indifference, apprehends them confufedly, and fuffers them to be foon obliterated from his mind. A Newton and a Haller liften to them attentively, weigh them deliberately, comprehend them accurately, and keep them in careful remembrance.' He takes here the extremes of philofophy and uncultivated nature, that the effects of each ftate may appear the more confpicuous and ftriking; but he is perfuaded that, in every intermediate ftate, the effect will be fimilar, in proportion to its distance from each of the extremes. He confirms this judicious obfervation by examples. Greece, and the Leffer Afia, were the principal fcenes of the miniftry of St. Paul, in whofe time philosophy was in high repute, and generally cultivated in thofe countries: and it is well known that his reception and fuccefs among those nations were remarkable. No fooner did he open his extraordinary commiffion, than he was surrounded by crowds of hearers, who, both by found reasoning, and an impartial examination of the Scripture (which this great Apoftle perpetually recommended), endeavoured to difcover the truth of what he affirmed. The refult was, what it ever will be, when Chriftianity is examined with candour and found judgment, that multitudes flocked daily into the church. 'Let now any one (fays our Author) take a view of those once enlightened countries, and fay whether he thinks, that in their prefent ftate of ignorance and barbarifin, they are equally fitted for the reception and prefervation of our holy religion.'

The details into which Mr. MORGAN enters, in order, to fhew that the ftudy of true philofophy is beneficial to the caufe of divine revelation, by improving the fagacity of the mind, and ftrengthening the judgment, are both inftructive and interefting. Indeed there is nothing that can fecure the mind from error and impofture, but the precifion that arifes from a truly.

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