of the hardships of the clergy in Wales, and pleads their caufe with energy, pathos, and ability.,

A Sermon preached before the Governors of the Northampton İnfirmary, at the Parish Church of All-Saints, Northampton, Siptember 24, 1789. By J. J. Rye, A.B. 4to. 15. Chalklen. The language of this Sermon is florid and often elegant: the fubject is the heathen doctrines and practices contrasted with the more purely benevolent spirit of the Chriflian difpenfation. It has been often employed in fimilar compofitions, and is well adapted to the circumstances in which the preacher was placed. We mean not this as a cenfure for want of novelty, fince every topic has been already expatiated on; and novelty of language is almost as fearce as an uncommon fubject.

Sermons, principally addreffed to Youth. By J. Toulmin, A. M. Second Edition, to which are added, Two Sermons, never before printed, and fome Forms of Prayer. Svo. 35. 6d. Johnson. The first edition of thefe Sermons we noticed in our XXXIA volume, p. 79. Two fermons are added; the fecond on the happiness and improvement of a pious defcent; the fifth, urging the former arguments defigned to lead the young man to the profeffion of Christianity. Inflead of Ifocrates' Oration to Demonicus, fome prayers are fubjoined; but of these we can commend the piety rather than the orthodoxy.

We think our author's delicacy in his poffeript is misplaced; and the doubts of the authenticity of the two first chapters of St. Luke's Gospel should have been fuggefted to the maturer critic, rather than to thofe for whom the fcrmons were written. In this conduct Mr. Toulmin will not recommend his work to the more judicious and difcerning readers.

On the Principle of Vitality in Man, as defcribed in the Holy Scrip tures, and the Difference between true and apparent Death. A Sermon preached in the Parish Church of St. Andrew in Holborn, on Sunday, March 22, 1789, for the Benefit of the Humane Society. By Samuel, Lord Bishop of St. David's. 4to. Rivingtons.

15.

The bishop, in this excellent difcourfe, discriminates, with great perfpicuity, between the doctrines of infpiration on the fubjects which the teachers were directed to inculcate, and their opinions on different points, particularly on the doctrines of philofophy, or other incidental topics. In this way he fuppoles philofophy and religion can never be at variance: they will always alfift each other, and render their mutual impreffions more forcible and more lafting. Yet, in this diftinction, great allowance fhould, he thinks, be made for the feparate explicit affertions of holy writ; for thefe must not be controverted; yer nothing fhould be inferred beyond what is afferted: in the regions of philofophy, on the other hand, we must difcriminate between the experiment and the deduction. This distinction

was

was neceffary on both fides, to promote the wifhed-for reconciliation; and it was peculiarly fo, to establish the great founda

tion of our author's doctrine.

The text is from Ecclefiaftes xii. 7. Then shall the dust return to the earth, as it was; and the fpirit fhall return to God who gave it.' This paffage amounts, he thinks, to an affertion that man confifls of two principles; the earth; and the spirit, imparted to it by God. Moles' account of the creation of man is pointedly and explicitly in favour of the fame doctrine. Yet it is not fuppofed by our author that the life of man is not mechanical; for thefe two principal component parts may be compounded, and each confift of its feparare principles. The foul is, he fuppofes, intellect; and the animal life compounded of the vegetable life, combined with perception. So far then, as man confifts of vegetable life, he may be a mechanical machine; and while any ftop is put to that machine, without producing the feparation between it and its vital fpirit, or without affecting the organization, life may be restored. Until the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit unto God that gave it, the apparently dead may probably be recovered.

Such, on the whole, is our author's fyftem; and though, in a philofophical view it may appear a little heretical, yet it is explained and fupported with great clearness and judgment. The compliments to the directors, and the warm recommendations of the charity, are of a more animated caft; but as they are usual in fimilar difcourfes, we must look on them as the neceffury and unav idable appendages.

A Letter to the Right Rev. Samuel, Lord Bishop of St. David's; occafioned by bis Sermon on the Principle of Vitality in Man, &c. Preached on Sunday, March 22, 1789, for the Benefit of the Humane Society. 8vo. 15. 6d. Johnfen.

Our author attacks the bishop on his opinions refpecting inspiration, and the connection of the foul with the body. In this conteft he difplays much ability and acutenefs: we were not fully fatisfied with the bishop's fyftem; and, on the other hand, we think our author has puflied many difputable opinions too far.

A Letter to the Right Reverend Father in God, Lewis, Lord Bishop of Norwich: occafioned by his late Vifitation-Tour through the Counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. With fome Remarks on a Preparatory Difcourfe on Confirmation, by Thomas Knowles, D. D. Sve. d. Buckland.

66

A Letter to the Right Rev. Lewis, by divine Permifion, Lord Bilop of Norwich, requesting his Lordship to name the Prelate, to hom be referred, as contending ftrenuously for the general Excellence of our prefent authorifed Tranflation of the Bible." 80. 6d. Johnson.

Dr. Bagot has offended the firft of thefe correfpondents, by

his too folemn administration of confirmation; and the clérgy of his diocefe are introduced as aiding and abetting his fuppofed object, by their reprefentations in the pulpit. The bihop is compared, if not to the great beaft, to the fomething diftinét from the beaft, perhaps another and the fame.' But we fee nothing very repichenble in this conduct: the folemn admittance within the pale of the Chriftian church, when a perfon takes on himself the promises made for him in his baptifm, fhould undoubtedly be conducted with proper decorum; and the plus or minus will appear different to minds differently tinc tured. Our author peeps through the cloak of Calvin, and is terrified.

We may perhaps allow that the bishop employed expreffions too ftrong, when he fpoke of the general excellence of our tranflation of the Bible. If by the venerable prelate' quoted, he meant Dr. Lowth, his correfpondent has flown that his lordship is mistaken; various authorities are introduced in oppofition to Dr. Bagot; and they are of great importance. We have to lately given our opinion on the fubject that we need not repeat it.

A Letter to Dr. Priestley: or, a Volley of Random-Shot, discharged at him, from the old Fortress, called the Church of England. a Volunteer. 15. 6d. Parfons.

By

This writer fcatters his random-fhot at Dr. Priestley with fome fpirit. He fights with the Bible, a weapon with which a zealous Calvinist in the North once attempted to kill the devil; but we fuppofe the one will fire as the other fought, with no great fuccels. Our author fkirmifies a little irregularly; and, though he may be a fpirited partizan, will never acquire the character of an able general.

A Brief Expofition of the Doctrine of the New Church, which is meant by the New Jerufalem in the Apocalypfe. Translated from the Latin of the hon. Eman. Swedenbourg. 8vo. 35. Hindmarsh. This expofition is defigned as a contrast to the doctrines of the old church, and to how the great fuperiority of the former. We have ufually found Emanuel too deep or too high for our comprehenfion; and we find it beyond our powers to give a diftinct view of his new doctrines, fince we do not, we fear, accurately understand them. Thofe who are furnished with the true myllical fpectacles, to be procured, we apprehend, in the neighbourhood of Clerkenwell, may derive, probably, much inftruction from this work.

A Letter to the rev. Mr. Elhanan Winchefter: in which bis Theological Tenets and Opinions are fairly and candidly Examined, and Confuted, as Inconclufive and Sophiftical. By Dr. Sinclair. 8vo. 15. 6d. Walker.

Mr. Winchester, in his lectures, confiders the fcriptures in aliteral fenfe. Dr. Sinclair differs from him, and contends oc

cafion..lly

cafionally for an allufive and an allegorical interpretation. But i this pamphlet is written in an humourous ftyle; and the humour fometimes borders on profanenefs. When Dr. Sinclair. aims at wit, he frequently fails, or it, at least, evaporates in a pun. Supplications of an Ancient Parent, who found great Benefit from the Ufe of the Same. 8vo. 9d. Rivingtons.

These prayers are pious and orthodox: they display a truly religious fpirit; but we cannot recommend them as models of devotional excellence.

The Eternity of the Universe. By G. Hoggart Toulmin, M. D. 8vo. 55. in Boards. Johnson.

We reviewed this work in our Lth vol. p. 34, and again with a new title in our LXIId vol. p. 237. This feems really. a new edition, and left the fun and the ftars fhould feel themfelves neglected, our author endeavours to show that they are alfo eternal. We have feen nothing, fo far as argument is concerned, more truly contemptible; and we pity the young man as much as he feems to pity the fuperftition (in his language the religion) of the age.

The Unitarian, Arian, and Trinitarian Opinion refpecting Chrift, examined and tried by Scripture Evidence alone, in a Method bitherto unattempted. By William Ashdowne. Svo. 15. Printed for the Author.

Our author thinks the genuine interpretation of the language of Scripture, respecting Chrift, is that he did not partake of the divine nature. But a prejudice only in favour of the unicarian fyftem could occafion this error. The Holy Ghost thall come upon thee, and the power of the highest overshadow thee,' fays the angel; and yet our author fuppofes that no unprejudiced perfon could from this account believe that the offfpring was any thing more than human. The prejudice must certainly be on his fide or on ours, for from the fame premises we draw an oppofite conclufion.

The Origin and Importance of Life confidered, in a Sermon preached at the Parish Church of St. Giles's, Northampton, Sept. 13, 1789, introductory to the Inftitution of the Prefervative Society in that County; and at the Parish Church of Carshalton in Surry, for the Benefit of the Royal Humane Society, Oct. 25, 1789. By William Agutter, M. A. 8vo. IS. Chalklen.

We cannot highly commend this fermon for the force of its reafoning, or the general judgment difplayed in the conduct of it. The author recommends the inftitution with zeal, and we hope that his eloquence was effectual. We fhall extract only a fhort note:

The true and philofophical idea of death appears to be this, not that the foul leaves the body at firft, and therefore the ma terial frame must perish; but that the body is no longer a fit VOL. LXVIII, Dec. 1789.

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habi.

habitation for the foul to continue in it. As the brain and heart are the grand fources of fenfation, the primum vivens et ultimum moriens in the animal machine, therefore death is generally apparent before it is real.'

We think the fair conclufion from thefe premises fhould have been, that death is real, as foon as it is apparent.

NOVEL S.

Tyranny of Love; or, Memoirs of the Marchioness D'Aremberg • 2 Vols. 12mo. 65. Elliot and Kay.

We think thefe volumes may be very useful, though in a way which the au hor probably did not intend. The stories are fo clofely and confufedly intermixed, that the work will exercite the powers of reflection, difcrimination, and memory. We therefore recommend it for this purpose, fince the mind cannot easily be gratified while it labours; nor will those who come for entertainment, remain to labour. In other refpects, the novel is very trifling: if thefe be the Tyrannies of Love, the defpot must be defpofed, and his adherents brought to the lamp-iron.

Heerfort and Clara, from the German. 3 Vols. 12mo. 95. Robinfons.

We found this novel very interesting and entertaining: the characters are uncommon, and the fituations frequently affecting; but, in the conduct of the plot, we do not think the author fkilful. The narrative is too frequently broken, and he returns to relate adventures, which a novellift of more address would have brought fome of the other characters to explain. The moral is exemplary; but perhaps it might have been frengthened, if fome of the various objects of Heerfort's bounty and benevolence had contributed to the catastrophe. William and Charles; or, the Bold Adventurers. A Novel. In tavo Volumes. Written in Letters and Narrative, by the Author of Lord Winworth, &c. 1210.55. Stalker.

We know not whether the defign, the conduct, or the language of this work be moft contemptible. The whole is in a high degree abfurd and improbable, deformed by inelegant provincialifms. If any part be refcued from the feverity of this general cenfure, it is the concealment of Mrs. Emmet, and the manner in which fhe is gradually brought forward to elucidate the plot. In this part fome fkill appears to be dif. played.

Albertina. A Novel. In Two Volumes. 12mo. 55. Crowder. This novel is a little too full of hair-breadth 'fcapes," and fomewhat deficient in probability; but to a reader, not very nice and attentive, will appear interelling and entertaining

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The