Of a church fo depreffed by local circumftances, we were happy to find an account fo favourable; and, on a candid confideration, felt convinced, not only that the narrative was juft, but that it was the narrative of a Layman. Collected volumes of Sermons are generally fucceeding each other with a rapidity, which frequently throws us into arrear. At prefent, our felection from this clafs is limited to four. The readers of Sermons, (who, after all, are numerous) could not but rejoice to hear, that Dr. Rennell had fent forth a volume*. Of fourteen difcourfes there collected, feveral had been feparately published. The wellknown excellence of thefe would naturally excite high expectations of the reft; and thofe expectations would certainly be gratified to their fullest extent. The fecond volume of Mr. Gilpin's Sermonst, is recommended fufficiently by the very name of the writer, and is furely not unworthy of that name. The twelve Sermons of Mr. Grofet, are more addreffed perhaps to the heart of the pious Chriftian, than to the head of the ftudious critic; but, fince from the heart are the issues of life", the difcourfes are ftill important. A fmall, but anonymous, volume of Sermons, on the Doctrines and Duties§ of Chriftianity, muft by no means be omitted in our recapitulation. Thefe Sermons have the rare merit of uniting plainnefs with vigour, and brevity with comprehentive inftruction. Of fmall tracts on religious fubjects, there are a few which must not be neglected. The Confiderations on the prefent State of Religion, are ably calculated to promote its influence, by recommending the beft things, in very powerful words. The Dialogue between a Country Gentleman and One of his Poor Neigh bours, appeared to us with fo much judgment op * No. III. p. 276. No. III. p. 318. ÍV: 429; V. 550. + No..V. P. 529. ‡ No. IV. p. 427. No. III. p. 319; pofed pofed to the errors of thofe who call themfelves the only evangelical inftruétors, that we continued our fpecimens from it for three fucceffive months. If thofe fpecimens, on being read, do not fully justify our opinion of the tract, we have erred; we know not why, but certainly not from partiality to the author, who is to this hour unknown to us. The particular notice given to this obliged us to be more concife in our account of a fimilar tract, more doctrinal even than that, but fimilar in general defign, a Dialogue between a Churchman and a Methodif*. Thefe fectaries are extremely active, at this moment, in affailing the Established Church, by efforts of every kind; and fince enthufiafm attracts ignorance as naturally as the loadftone collects particles of iron, they are but too fuccefsful in many of their plans. What we can do to counteract them by fair, difpaffionate, and steady reprefentations of the truth, the public may expect us to perform. The doctrines of the Church are found. From the exaggeration of a few among them, and the difregard of feveral others, united with a general contempt of church authority and difcipline, the moft pernicious errors are derived. Where thefe features are not found, we are not forward to impute the charge of Methodifin, which we know is often urged by folly against seriousness, and by worldly minds against found piety. We turn to another fubdivifion of this clafs,' with which we ufually conclude it; thefe are, clerical Charges, or difcourfes feparately published. Of Charges, there are three more particularly requiring to be mentioned. Archdeacon Pott's, at St. Alban'st; Archdeacon Moore's, in Cornwall; and Dr. Shepherd's, at Bedford§. To difcriminate between thefe Charges, in this place, is not neceffary; they are fuch as the clergy at each place would hear with fatisfaction, and those of every other place may read with plea* No. V. P. 552. + No. I. p. $8. No. III. p. 314 ý No. III. p. 317• fure 1 fure and advantage. Of Sermons fingly printed, we fhall mention only five, and one of thefe is foreign; but, be it remembered, that we only felect the best; we do not recapitulate all the good. Of the four that are properly British, the firft in importance is that of Mr. R. Gray, at Durham*. The topic, which is the fubfervience of the three learned languages, as they are called, to the fervice of religion, and their fingular prefervation for that purpofe, is one which deferves attention and ftudy, and pursuing to a further iffue. The remaining three are, Mr. Butler's on the Mercy of Godt; Mr. Pott's, against reclufe Societies, and Mr. Lowe's Vifitation Sermon§. Of thefe, the merits are varied; but, in every one, they are fufficient to justify the diftinction here affigned to them. The Sermon of Dr. Dwight, whom we have before had occafion to mention, on the clofe of the late Century, embraced fome topics fo important for the warning of our countrymen, that we endeavoured to render it confpicuous. In cafting off establishments, the Americans have ventured upon a perilous experiment, of which the ufe that we fhould make is to avoid a fimilar danger. MORALITY. The unity of found Morality with Religion muft of neceffity be close; but no where can we fee them more intimately blended than in the excellent Letters of Mrs. Weft, addreffed to her fon. We had even hefitated whether we fhould not actually introduce them in the clafs of Divinity; but, as we thought it right to render them confpicuous by an extended account of their contents and merits, fo alfo are we glad to give them the diftinction of occupying a feparate clafs, instead of being confounded with numbers. LAW. We place here, without fcruple, the eloquent Letter of Mr. Bowles to the Solicitor-General*, urging, with powerful arguments, the neceffity of framing a law, to reftrain and punish that difgrace of modern England, the crime of adultery. From what has paffed in certain places, on this momentous fubject, we may rejoice that we have any penal laws eftablished by the wifdom of our ancestors; fince, in this moft fignal inftance of omiffion, it appears fo very difficult to have the strange deficiency fupplied. Of publi-. cations ftrictly written for the profeffion of the law, we have but few to mention at this time, and those by no means works of primary importance. The most material of the number appears to be Mr. Montagu's Summary of the Law of Set-offt, a fubject hitherto undifcuffed by writers of this clafs, and treated by him with clearnefs and ability. Mr. Withy's Treatife on the Law of Annuities, though correct in itself, is only a book added to others of established credit, which it does not at all fuperfede. Mr. Clark's Memoranda Legalia§, will bear comparifon with any thing better than with his own encomiums of the book; fimply confidered it is an useful publication, but it is not the first effort of legal compilation. As a plain and useful treatife, we recommend the tract of Mr. Hands, on the modern Practice of Fines and Recoveries; nor could we omit to praife the Compendium of Marine Infurances, by Mr. Burn¶ of the Inner-Temple. He has reforted to the best authorities, and has arranged his materials with propriety and found judgment. No. II. p. 181. No, II. p. 151. + No. II. p. 207. No. II. p. 206. POLITICS. POLITICS. The political topics lately prevalent, led us una. voidably to the fubject of natural and public law. In treating of this, we could not fail to speak in the highest terms of Dr. Croke's Remarks on Profeffor Schlegel*. The Danish Profeffor had afpired to gain that conqueft by arguments, which his countrymen at Copenhagen attempted in a bolder way; both, however, with equal fuccefs, Mr. Schlegel finds a Lord Nelfon in Dr. Croke, and the arguments of his Lordship are well known to have been powerfully felt, by the princes who border on the Baltic. In addition to these arguments, may be feen those of Mr. Wardt, diftinguished alfo by other able works. If further documents are wanted, they may be found in the Collectanea Maritima of Mr. Robinfon‡, and other publications arifing from the occafion, Mr. Bowles's honourable efforts we have already had occafion to praise under the head of Law; in the prefent clafs we find him again entitled, more than once, to our diftinguished notice. His Supplement to Reflections at the Clofe of the 18th Century§, added new confiderations, of great moment, to thofe which we had examined in a former volume; and his Reflections on the Conclufion of the War, give to the feelings of genuine patriotifm a spirit and an energy, which muft communicate their impreffion to every unperverted reader. To afcertain our hopes, and warn us of our remaining dangers, were the purposes of this tract, which are effected with an ability and fagacity, by no means common. The Letters of Fabius** to Mr. Pitt, difcufs a moft important topic of interior arrangement, in a manner at once respect * No. I. p. 71. No. III. p. 234. P. 631. + No. IV. p. 353. ‡ No. IV. p. 432 See vol. xvi, pp. 144, 299. 1 No. VI. **No. IV. p. 365. ful |