But it would have been an injury to his memory, to have pro¬ pofed that for a juft model of public worship under his fanction, which he was very far from intending to be fuch. • His principal attention and care feem to have been employed in: rectifying the great errors concerning the object of religious worship, which obtained in the national church, of which he was member, and one of its greatest ornaments. In doing this, he nobly ventured to follow the leading of holy fcripture, however contrary to the received doctrines; and blotted out or changed fuch prayers and invocations as were addressed to Chrift, or the holy Spirit, and not to the One God, the Father. In his examination of the book of Common Prayer, as he passed along, he also noted and changed many of the fentiments and expreffions, which he judged improper or wrong. But it fell not within his purpofe, to remark or cenfure fuch obvious imperfections of that book, which had been pointed out before by others, and could hardly escape the obfervation of any one, whenever it fhould come under a general review; I mean, the frequent return of the Lord's Prayer, and of the like requests in other prayers; the repetition of two Creeds, within a fhort fpace one after another; the confufion occafioned by what were at first three diftinct fervices, and repeated at different hours, being thrown all together, and blended into one +: from which it happens, that at the end of one part, we are difmiffed with a concluding prayer, and folemn bleffing, and immediately after begin the circle of our devotions again: faults thefe not of our ever honoured reformers, but of us, their lefs care, ful and more indolent fucceffors. These blemishes therefore, were of neceffity to be removed. Some paffages retained by Dr. Clarke, have been omitted †: and fome farther alterations and additions have been made: all which are fubmitted to the judgment of the ferious and diligent reader of holy fcripture. In the devotional part, wherever any change has been made, care has been taken not to lofe that fimplicity of fentiment, and eafy flow of pious and natural eloquence, for which many parts of our antient liturgy are juftly admired. The occafional prayers and thanksgivings have been for the prefent omitted. Perhaps it may not be amifs always to referve to the officiating minifter, the liberty of introducing fuitable prayers of his own compofing, on fuch emergencies as can with difficulty be provided for before hand, The obfervation of Christmas day, Good Friday, Eafter day, the Afcenfion, and Whitsunday; ftill kept up, as being memorials of the principal facts concerning our Saviour Chrift, and the establishment of his religion in the world. The faints days, as they are called, are fallen into almost univerfal neglect, and ferve chiefly for civil purpofes; fave that now and then they help to bring back a Proteltant The Morning Prayer was at first read at fix in the morning: the Communion Service at nine, or foon after; and a little before that, the Litany. + Thus, for example, the Obfecrations, as they are called, in the Litany, are left out: By the holy incarnation, &c. although Dr. Clarke changes them to be an addrefs to God, and not to Chrift to to the bofom of Popery, by their too near affinity to that mother of fuperftition and idolatries. They are therefore intirely left out. The appointment of the Litany to be read only on fuch days as the Lord's Supper is adminiftred, correfponds with the order of the original compilers of the liturgy. For our ecclefiaftical hiftory informs us, that the Litany was defigned to be a kind of preparation to the Communion, and to be read a little before that office began. The morning fervice, on the days that the Lord's fupper is administered, is fomewhat fhorter than at other times; and the introductory part of the Communion Service is laid afide as unnecessary; by which the whole is much abridged. And it is hoped, that all that join in the former, will attend the latter. For it is in itself moft unreasonable, and wholly unprecedented in the Apostles times, that any fhould join in the devotions of the church, and not join in receiving the Lord's Supper a part of those devotions; but not more facred than the reft, nor requiring any different religious difpofition of mind or preparation for it. ⚫ Dr. Clarke made many alterations in the Baptifmal office, which was much incumbered with a continual reference to the abstruse metaphyfical doctrines of election and original fin. But he does not appear to have fufficiently difentangled it. A ftrict adherence to holy fcripture, and the fimplicity of the inftitution, has been aimed at in the additional parts of this fervice. • The promiscuous reading of the Pfalms having been long matter of complaint; the appointment of thefe, and of the Leffons, feems properly left to the difcretion of the minister.' We cannot take leave of this article in fitter terms than those which Mr. Lindsey has chofen for the motto to his fermon above quoted, viz. "The true unity of Christians confifts not in unity of opinion in the bond of ignorance, or unity of practice in the bond of hypocrify, but in the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Dr. Clarke's Sermons, vol. iii. P. 316. Art. 47. Religious Intolerance no part of the general Plan either of the Mofaic or Chriftian Difpenfation. Proved by fcriptural Inferences and Deductions, after a Method entirely new. 8vo. is. Gloucefter, printed by Raikes, and fold by Rivington in London. 1774It would have been of great advantage and honour to religion, if its advocates had generally poffeffed the fpirit and temper of Doctor Tucker. Our religious tenets are probably much influenced by our natural difpofitions; and every man whofe temper is not fo good as the Doctor's, will be inclined to difpute his principle. We, however, think it a candid and noble one; and hating perfecution of every species, and under every pretence, we readily affent to inferences and deductions. We fear there are not many of his brethren who will be pleased with his charity, or be properly affected and improved by fuch fentiments as the following: The upfhot of the whole is this: Reafon and perfuade, intreat and importune as much as you can: preach the word; be intlant in feafon, out of feafon, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-fuffering and doctrine: but ufe no violence; and be content with those methods of propagating and preferving the gofpel of Christ which he himfelf both prefcribed and practifed. The wrath of man worketh not the righteoufnefs of God." We W We most fincerely recommend this excellent pamphlet to the perufal of all our contending divines. Art. 48. A brief and difpaffionate View of the Difficulties attending the Trinitarian, Arian, and Socinian Syftems. Occafioned by the erce Controverfies now on foot in divers Parts of the Kingdom refpecting those Subjects; and defigned to affift the candid, humble, and modest Inquirers in their Searches after Gofpel Truths. By Jofiah Tucker, D. D. Dean of Gloucefter. 8vo. 3 d. Gloucefter printed, and fold by Rivington in London. 1774. This little pamphlet breathes the fame Chriftian temper which has generally marked the writings of the dean of Gloucester. W. Art. 49. An Addrefs to Proteflant Diffenters, on the Subject of giving the Lord's Supper to Children. By Joseph Priestley, LL. D. F. R. S. 8vo. I S Johnfon. 1773. Dr. Priestley tells us, that the subject of his address was almost as new to himself, as it can be to any persons who meet with his pubication. But having been more converfant with the ancient Chriftian writers, and alfo having met with Dr. Peirce's effay on the fubject, he fays, he is now, on mature confideration, fully fatisfied, that infant communion, as well as infant baptifm, was the most antient cuftom in the Chriftian church, and therefore that the practice is of apoftolical and confequently of divine authority.' After endeavouring to fhew that this was the ancient and early practice of the church, he inquires how it came to be laid afide; and he concludes, that the denial of the cup to the laiety, and refufing the Lord's fupper to infants, had their rife from the fame caufe, and took place about the fame time, and not till the doctrine of tranfubftantiation was fully established, which was about the twelfth century. As children are early brought by confiderate and ferious parents or governors to attend public worship, by which means their minds a betimes impreffed with a notion of its obligation and importance, their future attendance is fecured, and their rational and voluntary attachment to it accelerated; the fame advantages, the Doctor apprehends, muft arife if they were early brought to the Lord's fupper: Children, he fuppofes, would by this means become more the objects of attention both to their parents and the governors of churches; and young perfons would probably be more established in the belief of christianity: Having been from their infancy conflantly accustomed to bear their part in all the rites of it, they would be more firmly attached to it, and lefs eafily defert it.-When the practice of every thing external belonging to chriftianity is become habitual, the obligation, fays he, to what is internal, will be more constantly and more fenfibly felt.' Hi. Art. 50. The Works of the late Reverend Mr. Robert Riccaltoun, Minister of the Gofpel at Hobkirk. 8vo. 3 Vols. 15 s. bound. Edinburgh printed, and fold by Dilly in London. 1772. The first of these volumes contains Effays on human Nature, and on feveral of the doctrines of Revelation. The fecond confists of a Treatise on the general plan of Revelation; and, the Chriftian Life, or a dissertation on Gal. ii. 20. The third contains Notes and Obfervations on the Epistle to the Galatians. A variety of fubjects are treated treated in thefe volumes. The doctrinal parts feem chiefly formed on the Calviniflical plan. There are feveral fenfible obfervations, as well as pious and useful reflections, which will be attended to with pleasure by the well difpofed reader. L A W. Hi, Art. 51. Reflections on the Law of Arrests in Civil Actions: Wherein is particularly confidered the Cafe of Lieutenant-General Ganfel; and a faithful Report contained of the Judgment of the Court of King's Bench, pronounced Jan. 27, 1774, upon the General's Motion. 4to. I S. Wheble. The cafe of the General above-named, having excited much attention, fomebody has undertaken to furnish a pamphlet by contro verting Lord Mansfield's opinion pronounced on his fecond arreft. But as the objector is the reporter, and who he is, nobody but his publisher knows; he may poffibly buffet his man of straw at his pleafure, without any body concerning themfelves in the quarrel. W CORRESPONDENCE. E have received P. A.'s Letter, dated from Newton, near Middlewich, Cheshire, and have read it with attention; but do not think that it requires any particular answer. Were we to enter into controverfies with every Gentleman who may happen to differ from us in judgment, our Review would be employed in a manner very inconfiftent with its real nature and defign. With regard to the inflance in which P. A. finds fault with us, we fee no fufficient reafon, at prefent, to retract our opinion. We recommend it to him to deliver his fentiments, on the fubject of his letter, from the prefs. The matter will then come properly before us; and if he fhould convince us of the truth of the doctrine for which he contends, we fhall not hesitate in making a public acknowledgment of fuch our conviction. K. Through a mistake of the prefs, the lines intended to have been taken from Mr. Jerningham's poems, were imperfectly copied. In justice, therefore, to the Author, whofe poetical character might fuffer from fuch mutilation, we now give the verses entire : EPITAPH, fubjoined to Mr. Jerningham's poem, entitled, The Nunnery. By Death's ftern hand untimely fnatch'd away, A youth unknown to Fame thefe vaults infold: He gave to Solitude the penfive day, And Pity fram'd his bofom of her mould. With lyre devoted to Compaffion's ear, Oft he bewail'd the vestal's hapless doom, Oft has yon altar caught his falling tear, And for that generous tear he gain'd A TOMB. The three lines and half printed in Italics, were all that we intended to transcribe in our last month's Review; as containing a characteristic sketch of the penfive Muse who ufually prefides over Mr. Jerningham's poetical amufements. *See Review for laft month, p. 408. APPENDIX TO THE MONTHLY REVIEW, VOLUME the FIFTIET H. FOREIGN LITERATURE. ART. I. De Gebelin's Monde Primitif ;-or, Ancient World analyfed, and compared with the Modern, continued from our last Appendix. WE E have already made our readers acquainted with those general principles which this Author had laid down for himself in the investigation of his great idea. We fhall, therefore, after a brief account of his plan, proceed to what may be more generally interefting, and explanatory of the design,—a fpecimen of the execution. The work, fays M. De Gebelin, divides itself into two distinct parts or claffes,, the first relating to words, the fecond to things. The treatises arising under the first class would be numerous, but, for the fake of being fomewhat concife, are reduced to the ten following: I. The Principles of Language, or an Inquiry into the Orig gin of Languages and Letters. II. Univerfal Grammar, III. Dictionary of the primitive Language. IV. Comparative Dictionary of Languages. V. Etymological Dictionary of the Latin Language. X. Etymological Library, or an Account of the Authors who have written on all these Subjects. The fecond clafs, relative to things, is divided into two principal branches, the first on ancient allegory, the fecond on ancient history. APP. Rev. Vol. 1, L1 Under |