our half yearly recapitulation. We begin, as our fenfe of its importance has always fuggefted, with DIVINITY. Few books of enlarged difcuffion or inftruction in theological matters having been examined by us in the prefent volume, the most important publications we have here to notice are the feveral collections of Sermons. The late worthy mafter of MerchantTaylor's School, Mr. Bishop, was first known to us as a poet*; we now hail him with equal fatisfaction as a divine, from his Sermons lately publishedt. The difcourfes are plain, practical, and pious; evincing the amiablenefs of his character, as well as the acutenefs of his understanding. Our next author in this department was Mr. G. Glaffet, whom we found, as we expected, fenfible, zealous, and fcriptural. Were we to appreciate his powers by this volume, we fhould do him great injuftice. We know him to poffefs much more than is there difplayed. His bufinefs there was to inftruct, not to furprife. Dr. Hunting ford's fecond volume§ was well calculated to rank with his firft; valuable not only for the substance of the difcourfes, but for the excellent and learned illuftrations fubjoined throughout the notes. The Sermons of the late excellent Mr. Southgate, well deferved to be collected and laid before the public; the ftrength of original thought by which that very fincere and able divine had the talent of illuftrating the most common, and apparently exhaufted fubjects, forms a ftriking characteristic of his difcourfes : which in all refpects are found, orthodox, pious, inftructive, and practical. Dr. Henry Owen, a learned and acute commentator on the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures, might have been expected to leave fome * Brit. Crit. vol. viii, pp. 460, 637. † No. 1. p. 29. ↑ No. II. p. 168. No. III. p. 256. See vol, vii, p. 293. No. V. p. 520. difcourfes difcourfes ftamped with the fame character; but his Sermons, noticed in this volume*, afpire to no merit of that kind; they are clear and fenfible, but might have been produced by a man of less extraordinary talents. The volume entitled Naval Sermonst, publifhed by Mr. J. S. Clarke, must not be omitted in this enumeration. They are written with ability, and are animated by a spirit likely to diffufe a strong and useful effect among the hearers. Of a more general nature are the publications which we fhall next mention; not indeed fufficiently elaborate to take place of the volumes juft enumerated, but too valuable to be omitted. Such are Mr. Cowe's Religious and Philanthropic Tracst, Mr. King's Tract on the Signs of the Times§, and Mr. Roberts's Obfervations on Chriftian Morality[. The fecond of thefe, in particular, inveftigates with fo much ability the apparent fulfilment of prophecies, that few readers can fail to be ftruck with the probability of his conjectures. Our Liturgy, always worthy of admiration, is illuftrated in a very useful and ftriking manner by Mr. Biddulph, in his Effays on selea Parts of the Liturgy, where he shows himself at once a found and a zealous divine. Mr. Collier's Effays on the New Teftament**, may give inftruction to many who have not the opportunity of feeking it in more elaborate commentaries. The Tochin, written thirty years ago in French by M. Dutens††, in oppofition to the machinations of Voltaire and Rouffeau, is brought forward at this time, with great propriety, as a powerful antidote against Atheifm. A few tingle Sermons muft finally be mentioned, among which we cannot deny a principal place to that of Dr. Rennel preached before the Univerfity of Cambridge, on July 1, 1798. It is truly an able difcourfe; full of extenfive and profound knowledge, and an highly vi gorous and animated compofition. Of a different character, but very high alfo in merit, is the difcourfe of Mr. Sawkins*, at Chrift Church, Oxford, on the 29th of May. Rich in the ftores of English hiftory, this preacher illuftrates the prefent times by the paft, in a manner which will not frequently be rivalled. Dr. Valpy's Difcourfet, noticed with this, is remarkable, among other things, for its coincidence with Mr. King's, in his calculations refpecting prophecy. The illuftration of a well-known difficulty in the 109th Pfalm, by Mr. Partridget, of Bofton, Lincolnshire, feems to clear away all remaining difficulties, oppofed to an interpretation, which the most judicious among the late commentators have confidered as the right. Among Sermons produced at the meetings of military affociations, that of Dr. Willis§, and of Mr. G. Glaffel, deferve particular mention. Thefe occafions are folemn and impreffive, and few preachers can have treated them in a manner more proper or more ufeful. To what clafs we make our tranfition from this primary object, cannot be very material; but fince, from the increafed neceffity of inculcating the duties of citizens, as a part of Chriftian morality, Divinity and Politics have been of late more intimately connected, we fhall proceed at prefent in the line which is thus laid down. POLITICS. No works of great magnitude offer themselves to notice in this clafs; but many valuable tracts have appeared, the beft of which we fhall here recapituJate. The Confiderations on the prefent Times, by Mr. Dean Nickolls, with the Warning of the Church of Scotland, forma publication of the most excellent kind. The " Confiderations" are introductory to the No. V. p. 546. j No. III. p. 268. I + No. V. p. 548. + No. IV. p. 429. No. I. p. 81. "Warning, "Warning," and both are, in the highest degree, found, rational, and pious. Another tract under the title of Confiderations, ftrongly fixed our notice. It is the third part of "Confiderations on the State of Public Affairs, in the Year 1798*." Though on feveral points we differ entirely from this anonymous writert, yet on very many we accord with him no lefs completely; and think both his reasonings found, and his language forcible and appropriate. A fourth part was promifed, on the Affairs of Ireland: which, if this author has exercifed his fagacious mind on the fubject of the Union, we should be very defirous to fee. M. Neckar's book on the French Revolution, of which we lately announced a tranflation‡, would have been eagerly received by the world, had not fo much been published before, and had not the author been too much implicated in many of the events to be likely to preserve an unwarped judgment. A book of much more important information, at the prefent moment, is that of Sir F. D'Ivernois, " on the Administration of the French Republic, during the Year 17978." From documents undeniably authentic, this author proves completely the very ruinous state of the French Finances. Yet, notwithstanding the truth of all this, the folly and pufillanimity of fome ftates, and the perverfion of others, ftill keep the monfter but too vigorous and formidable to all Europe. The publication of the Intercepted Letters from Buonaparte and his officers, illuftrates another branch of French Hiftory; the gratitude of the Republican Directory to their beft officers and foldiers; and the very comfortable fituation into which they fend them to repofe from the toils of conqueft! It throws alfo fome very brilliant light on the Glorious Victory of Lord Nelfon. A tract" on the State of the Country (England) in the Autumn of 1798¶," * No. II. P. 149. P. 300. § No. VI. p. 601. + Suppofed to be Mr. Bentley. t No. III. No. VI. p. 614. 1 No. VI. p. 681. difplayed difplayed fo much political knowledge, that it was attributed to a nobleman already famous for fimilar difcuffions. Whoever was the author, the pamphlet was well-written, and well-timed. A very fpirited remonftrance to the French Directory on their infamous conduct towards Switzerland*, was written by Lavater, and published here in a tranflation. We think it well deferving of notice, and with that it fhould find an extenfive circulation. On the very momentous national fubject of an Union with Ireland, one of the beft tracts (perhaps the very beft) that have yet appeared, is that of Mr. Cooke, entitled, Arguments for and against an Union between Great Britain and Irelandt. It will be found, however, in the number published with this Preface, that we have now entered more deeply into the question than we could while that pamphlet was before us. The Remarks on the Conduct of Oppofition, by a writer ftyling himself Geoffery Mowbray, Efqt. but attributed with fome reafon to Mr. Nolan, place many important points in a new and ftriking light. The curiofity which might be excited by our brief account of it, would be by no means difappointed on recurrence to the tract itself. In an able tract, entitled A Letter on Finance, &c§. Mr. John Charnock threw out fome novel and bold, but, in our opinion, not ill-founded notions on that complicated fubject. Their tendency is diametrically oppofite to the ideas of Mr. Morgan, and the calculators of his clafs, who have endeavoured to enlift arithmetic as an auxiliary to Oppofition. The Suffolk Freeholder (whom we thank for the communication of his name) certainly found the real ftrength of his talents when he applied them to the compofition of political tracts. His Thoughts on Mr. Fox's Seceffion well deferve to rank with his former publications of that nature, and we * No. III. p. 315. No. IV. p. 435. + No. VI. p. 670. # No. 1. p. 83. No. II. p. 192. could |