the fervent and repeated prayers of many a pious and honeft Chriftian, to all the Powers who prefide over Poetry, for their gracious aid and protection.-Reafon and argument have been employed to little purpose. Who knows but that wit and fatire may produce fome good effect? And furely when bishops, who call themfelves Proteftants, are, at this time of day, advocates for the continuance of penal laws, for the direction of confcience, they are fair game, and deferve the keenest shafts of every species of wit and ridicule. R. Art. 55. Two Letters on the late Applications to Parliament by the Proteftant Diffenting Minifters: one, an Address to the Dif fenting Laity on the Subject of thofe Applications. The other, An Enquiry into the lawfulness of the Declaration proposed to be fubftituted in the Room of Subfcription to the Articles of the Church of England. By Joshua Toulmin, A. M. 8vo. 8vo. 2 S. Johnfon. 1774.

These Letters deserve to be ranked with the best performances that have been published on the fubject of the Diffenters' petition, being written in a candid, liberal, and judicious manner. The fecond

Letter, in particular, appears to be well calculated to remove the fcruples of thofe who object, not to the matter of the Declaration, but to making fo folemn an acknowledgment, at the requifition of the magiftrate.-Mr. Toulmin fhews very clearly, in our opinion, that the Declaration propofed is not an acknowledgment of the magife's right to establish any, or what religion he pleafes; that it is no more than is required in fome exprefs precepts of the New Teftament, and countenanced by the pattern of Chrift and his apoftles; and that it is certainly recommended by prudence, and enforced by the neceffity of the cafe. R.

Art. 56. Arcana: or, the Principles of the late Petitioners to Parliament for Relief in the matter of Subfcription. In eight Letters to a Friend. 1. On Candour in Controverfy; 2. On Uniformity in Religion; 3. On the Right of private Judgment; 4. On Civil Magiftracy; 5. On Innovation; 6. On Orthodoxy; 7. On Perfecution; 8. On Sophiftry, 8vo. 25. 25. Dilly, &c. 1774. *

The Author, though not an elegant writer, appears to be a very fenfible man; and there are many ftriking, curious, pertinent, and entertaining obfervations in his Letters. R. Art. 57. A Letter to the Rev. Mr. Bowman, Vicar of Martham, Norfolk; occafioned by a Prefent of his Book, intitled A Review of the Doctrines of the Reformation, &c. 8vo. 9d. Norwich printed; and fold by Robinfon in London. 1773.

The doctrines of Predeftination, Original Sin, &c. are here fmartly attacked, by a man of plain good fenfe, without any pretenfions to learning. Mr. Bell, the writer, appears to have conceived a very mean opinion of those, of whatever denomination, who unite with the Methodists (with whom he is particularly difgufted) in zealously contending for thofe tenets which, by fome, are distinguished by the honourable appellation of FANATICISM.

• See Review, vol. xxxix. for the year 1768, P. 374..

* Mr Robinson, of Cambridge.

Art.

Art. 58. A Letter to a Layman, on the Subject of the Rev. Mr. Lindley's Propofal for a reformed English Church, &c. 8vo. 6 d. Wilkie. 1774.

A vehement declamation against the eftablished church, chiefly on account of her Tritheifm. After endeavouring to prove that every fincere Unitarian is obliged, in confcience, to feparate from fuch a church, the Author particularly and earnestly exhorts his correfpondent to join Mr. Lindfey's propofed reformed church;' in which, as we are here informed, a liturgy will be ufed, containing nothing fhocking to the understanding."

In recommending Mr. L.'s fcheme, the Author thus warmly expreffes his zeal for the caufe of this good man, which he confiders as the cause of true religion itself:-Great and honourable in the fight of God, and of wife and good men, will thofe be, who fhall boldly ftand forth on this occafion, take this modeft Apologift by the hand, encourage and fupport him in his difficulties, and at the fame time form themfelves under a Chriftian miniftry which they can entirely approve,' &c.-Our Readers may remember that we gave them fome account of Mr. L.'s motives for quitting his ftation in the church of England, in our Reviews for the two preceding months. Art. 59. Loofe Hints on the Subject of Non-conformity; addreffed to the Right Rev. the Bithops, &c. By a Gentleman, formerly a Member of the Middle Temple. 8vo. 6d. Johnfon. 1773. The Author grounds this attack of the bishops, on a Whisper,' that their Lordships are fhortly to roufe from their lethargy, and are, ere long, to exert their vigilance for the difcovery and exemplary correction of heretical pravity.

On the fuppofition that there is really a defign formed of thus playing off the artillery of the church; and particularly that it is to be pointed against all thofe of the clergy who omit, or alter, any part of the liturgy, the Author enters on a kind of eftimate, by way of queries, of the general conduct and demerits of the clergy; and as he takes it for granted that conformity to one canon, &c. will not be exacted, without enforcing the whole, he makes it more than probable that there will be work enough to employ the fpiritual engineers. In fhort, he involves the whole body ecclefiaftic in an univerfal delinquency; but for the particulars we must refer to the pamphlet; which is written with more feverity than civility.

Art. 60. A Scourge to Calumny, in Two Parts. Infcribed to Richard Hill, Efq; By Thomas Olivers. 12mo. I s. 6 d. Nicoll. 1774.

Mr. Olivers is a faunch adherent to Mr. Wesley; and, of course, is much difpleafed with Mr. Hill for his harfh treatment of Mr. W. in his Farragos, &c. for which and for Mr. Hill's other pieces, fee Reviews for the last three or four years.

But Mr. Olivers hath another, and more home-felt provocation to enter the lifts against the champion of the Calvinifts. The champion of the Calvinifts had, in his Farrago double Diftilled, introduced our Author, in a manner fomewhat contemptuous; calling him by the diminutive Tom, and opprobrioufly referring to his trade.

For all 'thefe offences, Mr. Olivers hath most heartily belaboured his antagonist; at the fame time taking occafion to enter very fully into the vindication of Mr. W. whom he piously extols as being verily

and

and indeed the greatest gospel minifter now living, and the faviour
of half a million of fouls:-if we rightly understand his words,
which are, one who has, directly and indirectly, been infirumental
in turning, perhaps,' [we did not obferve that ugly perhaps] not
lefs than half a million of fouls from the evil of their way.'—Al-
though it may be difficult to make out this eftimate, yet we believe
that the celebrated leaders of our Methodists, both Arminian and
Calvinist, have really been inftrumental to the reformation of many
an idle and vicious perfon, among the lower people of this country;
and therefore we cannot help thinking that Mr. Hill's zeal for the
particular tenets of his party, hath carried him too far in his fevere
impeachments of this indefatigable labourer in the vineyard.
Art. 61. Chriftian Zeal: Or, Three Difcourfes on the Impor-
tance of feeking the Things of Chrift, more than our own. By
Job Orton. 12mo. 9d. Shrewsbury printed, and fold by Buck-
land, &c. in London. 1774.

This worthy Writer intends, we fuppofe to convey the idea he has of himself by the motto he has chofen from the Roman poet, Fungar vice cotis, &c. which for the fake of the English reader, is thus tranflated in the preface to his difcourfes :

Not that I dare to active zeal pretend,

But only boast to be religion's friend;

To whet men on to act, and like the hone,
Give others edge, tho' I myself have none.

He obferves, that while excellent treatifes have been published,
of late, in defence of toleration and liberty, and zealous attempts
made to increase moderation and candour, which he hopes have pro-
duced very good effects, there is great room to complain of the want
of zeal for the fupport and advancement of real, practical religion, and
for the good of fouls. With an intent to revive this zeal, he puts
into his Reader's hands these three Discourses, and hopes for their
ferious attention to the motives and arguments urged in them. They
are plain, fenfible, and perfuafive. We heartily wish, they may have
the effect propofed by their pious Writer; who hereby manifefts his
benevolent and public fpirit, while his state of health disqualifies him
for more active labours.
Hi.
Art. 62. The rational Chriflian's Affiftant to the worthy receiving of
the Lord's Supper. 12mo. 4 dJohnfon. 1773.

This little tract is an abridgment of Bishop Hoadley's plain account of the nature and end of the facrament of the Lord's Supper. Should any apology be thought neceffary for treating the subject in this manner, the Author fenfibly fays, the only one I can perfuade myfelf to make is, that I have no authority to add to the words of Chrift and his apoftles on this fubject; nor to put any meaning or interpretation on thofe words, but what is agreeable to the common rules of fpeaking, in like cafes, and to the declared defign of the inftitution itfelf: nay, that it would be, in me, a finful prefumption to amufe Chriftians with greater and higher expectations than they, who alone can be depended on, as far as I can judge, have given them any reafon to entertain. If I have arrived at the full meaning of what our Lord and his apoftles have taught, I have what alone I ought to aim at; and it will be of little importance from how many and how great men I differ.'

In that part of this little pamphlet in which Bishop Hoadley's ac count is applied to the communion office of our church, the prefent Writer adds fome amendments in the office propofed by the late Dr. Samuel Clarke, and tranfcribed from his interleaved copy of the Common Prayer Book, now lodged in the British Museum. Hi.

SERMON S.

I. Preached in the Chapel of the Afylum for Female Orphans, at the anniversary Meeting of the Guardians of that Charity, May 19, 1773. By Beilby Porteus, D. D. Rector of St. Mary, Lambeth, and Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty. 4to. is. Payne, &c. This difcourfe is well adapted to direct and affift perfons in the general exercife of a charitable temper, as well as to that particular occafion on which it was delivered. It is fenfible and judicious, and pleads the cause of the Afylum charity with energy and rational perfuafion. The worthy Preacher reprefents the advantages of this benevolent retreat for female childhood and innocence, in fuch a light, that, on the fuppofition of its being conducted according to the plan he mentions, we apprehend no perfon will have caufe, in his coolest moments, to repent of having contributed to its fupport. Hi. II. Before the Houfe of Lords, Jan. 31, 1774, being the Day ap pointed to be obferved as the Day of the Martyrdom of King Charles I. By the Right Rev. Father in God William Lord Bishop of Chefter. 4to. s. Payne.

Senfible, moderate, and abounding with useful reflections on the unhappy confequences of defpotic attempts to fubvert the natural or conftitutional rights of a people, on the one hand,—and on the mifchiefs arifing from the spirit of difcord, fedition, and fanaticism, on the other.

A

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the EDITOR of the MONTHLY REVIEW.

MONG the articles of Correfpondence for " January," there is one figned "Impartial," upon which I beg leave to make fome remarks. It is with reluctance, I own, that I offer to take up any part of a work, defigned for general information, with the con cerns of a few individuals: but as the Monthly Reviews will most probably survive many other publications, and perhaps become the refources for fupplying the hiftoric page with accounts of men and things of the prefent times; no man would chufe to be there recorded as a tranfgreffor without caufe, though allowed by his anta. gonist to poffefs a fuperior and amiable character."

Of Dr. Leeds, the caufe of this difpute, I fhall only fay, the Faculty at Edinburgh will not foon forget him; and the College of Phyficians in London, who at least are as good judges as Impartial, had not the most favourable opinion of his abilities.

Of Impartial it may be justly said, that in vindicating the arbitra tors, he has paid no great compliment to the impartiality of that body of people to whom Dr. Fothergill belongs, when he fays, that they fwerved from their common rules of procedure, fearing that "Dr. F. might not eafily be induced to make a proper acknowledg

66

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* ment,

"ment, fhould the complaint against him appear to be juft, and "confidering that his refufal fo to do must subject him to a folemn "cenfure."-The accufation is as unjust to both parties, as it is in vidious: the Society knows no man in judgment; and Dr. F. never gave them any room to doubt of a juft fubmiflion to the rules he Tubfcribes to.Impartial might have given a truer reason ; but it would not have ferved the turn of mifreprefentation.

"An affair," fays Impartial, of which much has been faid, but "little known; and which might have paffed quietly to oblivion, had not your Correfpondent recalled it into notice." But fhould it not have been remembered who published the Appeal? If the Appeal had not been published, the Remarks had never appeared-and if Impartial could have restrained his pen, this Address would have been unneceffary.

The Public will perhaps be enabled to judge of the propriety with which Impartial affumes his character, when they are informed that the Appeal, which contains a mutilated, invidious, and partial account of the misunderstanding between Drs. F. and L. was published (and, as it is fuppofed, by this impartial Correspondent) precifely

a time, when he knew there was a prospect of distributing his performance through every part of the nation; and at a time when he knew it was impoffible for Dr. Fothergill to make any reply to it, if he had thought one neceffary; viz. juft at the beginning of their yearly meeting in London, when the duties he owed to the Society were added to thofe of his profeffion.

Could any useful purpose be ferved by it, a full detail of this tranfaction, fupported by indubitable evidence, might be laid before the Public; and perhaps would, if there were the like evidence of what is but too strongly fufpected; viz. that thofe men have been the foremost in exciting and fupporting this vexatious bufinefs, who had the least reafon of all others to engage in it; but who, acting behind the curtain, could not properly, without fuch evidence, be brought forward to receive the reward of their zeal in such à publication.

March 24, 1774.

To be CORRECTED. A mistake of the prefs, in our laft, p. 160.

AMICUS.

In the account of Dr. Henry's fermon, inftead of The importance and usefulness of divine revelation are here judiciously stated, enforced, and fhewn, &c.' read-The importance and usefulness of DIVINE REVELATION are here judiciously ftated and enforced ; and it is fhewn to be the most effectual means, &c.

Our Readers will the more readily excufe fuch efraper as may, particularly, occur in the laft fheet of each Review, when they are informed that we have not (fo near the day of publication) time safficient for revifing the articles in that sheet.

*. The continuation of the Philofophical Tranfactions, vol. xii. has, by unforeseen accidents, been too long delayed; but we truft nothing will prevent our resuming this article in our next number.