terms the war in which we are involved. Whilft he enters his protest against confufion and anarchy, he must know, that his fentiments cannot be pleafing to thofe men, whofe malice is fruftrated and defigns expofed.

This work is the production of a lively, but defultory writer, who is not always precife in his use of language, nor accurate in the statement of facts; but as he discovers traits of original genius, and a mind enriched with information, we shall be glad to meet him again, and, perhaps, are only to confider this piece as a general introduction to the work which he intimates.

The general Contents are: the Equivocal State of public Intelligence-Eftimate of our prefent Hazard-State of Parties-the Times-Expedients-Civil Order-Conclufion.

The following we remark as defects in language, which were Hittle to be expected from a writer who has fome tafte for elegance, and a fufficient copia verborum. Dupery, p. 72. feouting,-to badger, p. 90. primeft, p. 104. blab, p. 137. egging mischief, 179. ouft, 187.

ART. 41. Speeches of the Right Hon. W. Pitt and the Right Hon. C. J. Fox, on Mr. Grey's Motion for a Reform in Parliament. 2s. Debrett. These speeches, with which the public are too well acquainted for us to enter into any detail concerning them, are here reprinted with feeming impartiality. Perhaps the motive which induced their publication in this form, was the wish to introduce the petition which is annexed to them. What the opinion of the House of Commons on that petition was, appears by its being rejected by the vast majority of 241. The conduct of the House, as far as we are able to judge, has received the approbation of the nation at large.

ART. 42. Thoughts upon the Commercial Bill. IS. Parfons.

The author imputes the numerous failures which have lately happened, not to the quantity of fictitious paper in circulation, but, what others have as ftrongly denied, to the fudden and unexpected commencement of the war. He reprobates alfo the means adopted by government to affift public credit, and thinks it might have been done more effectually by the Bank; that is, if government had engaged to guarantee the directors by the deposit of Exchequer Bills,

DIVINITY.

ART. 43. Two Charges delivered to the Clergy of the Archdeaconry of St. Alban's. By Joseph Holden Pott, prebendary of Lincoln, and Archdeacon of St. Alban's. 4to. 42 pp. 1s. Rivingtons and Faulder.

The subject of the former charge is religious edifices; in treating which, the author touches first upon the protection given by states and rulers to the church, from their converfion; and thence proceeds to the edifices which they caused to be erected for worship. He points out, that this duty was known to the Jewish, and adopted by the Chriftian church; and, having remarked how distinct the care

for the externals of religion is from private oftentation or pride, he recommends to the clergy a due attention to their facred buildings. This was delivered May 4, 1791.

The fecond charge, which bears date on May 25, 1792, confiders the independence of our church upon any private authority, as a ftrong mark of its Catholicism. They," fays the author" who <conducted the great work of refcinding what had been corruptly "introduced among us, feem never to have forgotten that main "principle upon which the guardianship afcribed by the Apostle to "the church is founded-that the word of truth is not entrusted to

the exclufive arbitration of any, (much less of one, as hath been "pretended) but to the cuftody of all." P. 25. A refpect of perfons, as founded on a blind deference to abilities, is noted as a prevailing evil in this age; and it is obferved, that “ every schism, every herefy, may be traced directly to this fource." Minifters of the church are cautioned against vanity and a love of popularity, and advised in what they publish, to confider principally the good which is likely to be wrought. The piety and modesty of the author, and his good understanding with his clerical brethren, appear ftrongly throughout both thefe charges.

ART. 44. A Sermon preached before the University of Cambridge, en Jan. 27, 1793, and published at the Defire of the Vice-Chancellor, and the Heads of Colleges prefent. By James Fawcett, B. D. Fellow of St. John's College, and Lady Margaret's, Preacher in the University of Cambridge. 4to. Is. Merrills, Cambridge; Cadell, White, Wilkie, &c. London.

When a felect preacher fpeaks, and the heads of an univerfity applaud the difcourfe, it peceffarily comes with a little difadvantage under the eye of a reviewer; his expectation being raised to fomething excellent, he is difgufted, if he find the compofition no better than thofe which generally iffue from the prefs. In the prefent cafe, we can with pleasure fay, that there exifted no fuch caufe of difguft, we opened Mr. F's difcourfe as the work of a writer who had attained to academical honours, and found his production fuch as to justify the univerfity which had conferred them.

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The text is Rom. iii. 8. "And not rather, as we be flanderously reported, and as fome affirm that we fay, Let us do evil, that "good may come." On which the author fpeaks in the language of a man who had acquainted himself intimately with the paffage of dcripture in which it is found; and, having confidered the inftances in which the Apoftle condemns the principle of " doing evil, that good

may come," he goes on to examine fome of the cafes in which the influence of this wretched principle is perceivable in later ages; and dwells particularly on four, in which the eventual benefit is urged as a juftification of acts in themfelves criminal:-The 1ft, is that of perfecution for religious opinions; the 2d, that of difpenfing with the obligations to veracity in our converfe with men; the 3d, that of defending the murderous and impious practice of duelling, on the plea, that it is neceffary to preferve the decency of human intercourse;

and

and the laft, that in which it is ufed in defence of thofe who are guilty of a breach of the most obvious duties in the civil conduct of men, that they may correct what they affume to be evils in the goverment of their country. Under all these heads, ftrength of observation and temperance in reproof prevail; and more need not be faid to prove to our readers, that the aifcourfe is calculated to convey very important and very neceffary inftructions.

ART. 45. A Sermon preached at St. Chad's Church, Shrewsbury, on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 1793. By Thomas Stedman, M. A. Vicar of St. Chad's. 8vo. 6d. Eddowes, Shrewsbury; Longman, London.

In an advertisement prefixed to this difcourfe the author deprecates criticism, on the plea that it was written on a very short notice, and without any intention of laying it before the public; at the fame time defying, with a "vincet amor pairie," any other confequences, if he can but promote the caufe of piety, loyalty, and charity. The text is, 66 Pray for the life of the king," from Ezra vi. 10. and the Sermon carries evident marks of the hafte with which it is confeffed to have been compofed: yet, on the whole, if it cannot eftablish the credit of Mr. S. as a writer, yet the candour, the fpirit of honeft loyalty, and unaffected patriotifm, which it breathes, do him honour as a man. Still we feel it incumbent on us to say, that when a compofition is fo imperfect as to need an apology for its publication, there ought to be very cogent reafons for hurrying it into the world, without taking time to correct fuch paffages as the following: " and it was left to the Independents, a class of men "fo called, who, fetting all law, juftice, and humanity at defiance, to do all the mischief." And we fhall be juftified, certainly, if we confider impetuofity in printing rather as meriting additional reprehenfion, than as furnishing an excufe for faulty compofition. The bleffings of a ftable government, the danger of innovation, and the amiable character of our prefent gracious monarch, with practical exhortations drawn from thefe fubjects, and the accustomed notice of the crime of the day (Jan. 30th) form the matter of Mr. S's Addrefs; toward the clofe of which is introduced Sir Thomas Wyndham's Advice to his Sons, "Never to forfake the crown, though it "should hang upon a bush.”

ART. 46. A Sermon on the prefent Crifis, preached at the Cathedral of Winchester, Dec. 9, 1792: with an Appendix. By the Rev. Edward Poulter. 4to. Is. Cadell and White.

On Heb. xiii. 1. Let brotherly love continue."-After a general comment on the words, and on the context, the preacher proceeds to apply the doctrine, by stating how deeply the brotherly love recommended in it, hath lately been wounded; and how deftructive of every bond of Chriftian charity are the principles not only avowed, but practifed in France; urging the common danger arising from the general evil tendency of thefe, as a call on every rank in fociety to

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unite

unite with the fincereft harmony against those who are in reality equally enemies to all. He particularly ftates the miferies which the lower orders of men must suffer from great national commotions—the great difference between the want in which France, under her old government, flood of reformation, and that in which this country can be faid to ftand-pleads for a general affociation, not against partial reform, but against general revolution-exhorts the opulent to exert themselves in relieving the labouring poor; and, fince the apprehenfions of the nation have been by authority declared to be well founded, calls on all the friends of the conftitution to ftand forth as one man; against which phalanx he conceives fcarcely one enemy will be found to contend.-The appendix contains fix long notes in fupport or explanation of certain paffages of the difcourte. Of this fermon the ftyle will ftrike the reader before the matter, but that not favourably; for the ftrength and juftice of the obfervations on the fuperior fufferings of the poor in a ftate of anarchy, and on the difficulties of the middling clafs, in a state of luxury and partial wealth, fimilar to what now prevails in Britain, are weakened and obfcured by an abundance of words.-Mr. P's. language is antithetical even to difguft, his epithets are too numerous, and not always well applied.

The benevolent difpofition confpicuous in this difcourfe deferves to be fupported by the utmoft power of language; which, in our opinion, may be attained much fooner by the ftudy of fimple and perfpicuous expression, than by any violent attempts at contraft and magnificence of phrafe.

ART. 47: The Chriftian Minifter's affectionate Advice to a newmarried Couple. Is. 6d. Rivingtons.

This little treatife cannot be too warmly recommended to readers of every description. It a very fenfible, and a very folemn exhortation to the discharge of thofe duties which are particularly incumbent upon the married ftate, and which fo materially tend to the promotion of temporal and eternal happiness.

FAST SERMONS.

ART. 48. Two Sermons preached at Gray's Inn Chapel, on Friday, April 19, 1793. Being the Day appointed by Authority for a Public Faft. And on Sunday April 28. By Walker King, D. D. and F. A. S. Preacher to the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn. 4to. 38 pp. Rivingtons.

Thefe Sermons are by no means of an ordinary kind, they prefent enlarged, and truly Chriftian views. From his text, Luke xiii. v. 5. Nay, but except ye repent ye fhall all likewife perish." Dr. King takes occafion to explain, in the firft fermon, the general grounds upon which we believe that the calamities with which God fometimes vifits nations are inftruments of his moral government; and to confider what were the circumftances of political alarm at that time fubfifting; with an admirable explanation of the true mode of humiliation,

humiliation. In the fecond fermon, he views more particularly those national and prevailing vices, which in a religious view conftitute our true danger, as tending to call down the judgments of God upon us. The following view, of one of the great caufes of the French Revolution, is admirably drawn:

"Of thefe fecondary caufes, not the leaft powerful or prevalent, was a fort of independence of mind, a difdain of all fuperiority, an intoxication of the understanding; by which every man (and efpecially thofe, whofe prof. ffions led them to the cultivation of the intel lectual faculties) thought himself entitled to a better place, than that in which the order of Providence had placed him; in fhort, to that place, which, by his own ability, he might hope to obtain, in the truggle and fcramble of an univerfal revolution. To effect this univerfal competition, it was neceifary to throw down every existing eftablishment. In order to give full fcope to that mental ability, which was to win the race in that competition, every restraint of morality, and even of human feeling was to be laid aside.

"This fatal spirit of independence and pride of intellect, evidently proceeds, and is directly deducible, from the caufe we mentioned above, the spirit of irreligion. For when we have accustomed ourfelves to prefume entirely upon the fufficiency of our own under ftanding, to fuppofe ourselves equal to the comprehenfion of univerfal nature, to difdain the fubmiffion of our mind to the myfterous inculcations of natural, much more of revealed religion; when we have made ourselves independent of God himself, and fuppofed ourselves aboriginal beings, derived from no author, and fubject to no account, is it furprifing, that we should reject all fubmiffion to the authority of other men; and that recognizing no wisdom in creation itself, we fhould difdain the contrivances of human inftitutions, and confider the world, in which we live, only as a ftage upon which we are at liberty to act our fancies, and to contend with each other who shall have the most of its tranfitory enjoyments !" p. 25.

When he comes to take a view of our own vices he particularly enumerates the following, which we also most earnestly with and pray to fee amended. A cold, irregular, indifferent, carelefs obfervance, and frequently a total neglect of the rites of religion: the difufe of family prayer; neglect of the fcriptures; of felf-examination, and of religious inftruction to children, fervants, and dependants. Thefe are undoubtedly the beginnings of grofs irreligion; and it is the duty of every minister, on all occafions, to prefs and enforce the contrary. practices, as the best means of preferving us from the great danger, of divine wrath.

ART. 49. A Sermon preached before the Univerfity of Oxford at St. Mary's, on Friday April 19, 1793, being the day appointed for a gene ral Faft. By Ralph Churton, M. A. Fellow of Brazen Nofe College, and Rector of Middleton Cheney in Northamptonshire. 4to. 15, Fletcher, Oxford; White, London.

Mr. Churton, whom inadvertently we prefented with a Doctor's degree, in our first number, p. 70, preached before the univerfity of

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Oxford,