on the verbal defcriptions. The fubjects of the drawings are not all well chofen ; and the language is rather too much in the ftyle of Mr. Chriftie. The road which the authors chofe, for their journey to Brighthelmftone, is that which conveys the traveller through Sutton, Reigate, Crawley, and Cuck field. They might, had it fo pleafed them, have diverfified their fcenery, by taking the fuperior town of Lewes, in their return; or, had they preferred rural objects, and delightful views, their route might have been through Epfom, Dorking, Horsham, and Henfield; which, in our opinion, is by much the pleafantelt road from London to this fashionable watering-place.

Art. 67. A Letter to the Author of Remarks on two of the most fingu lar Characters of the Age. By the Rev. John Croffe, Vicar of Bradford, in the County of York. With a Reply by the former, &c. 8vo. pp. 98, no Price. Bell, &c. 1790.

What was faid in our Review, vol. i. of the New Series, p. 339, relative to Farther Remarks on two of the moft fingular Characters of the Age,' will apply, without the alteration of a word, to the prefent publication. We muft, however, take notice of a paffage in p.51 of this letter, wherein it is faid, that a certain Dr. G. has given out, that he has had literary connections with the Monthly Reviewers. If the perfon here mentioned has really been guilty of this attempt to impofe on the credulity of his acquaintance, we have only to affure them, and the public, that we never had any connection nor correfpondence whatever with the faid Dr. G.; and that we are equally ftrangers to his perfon, character, and conduct, except from the information here given, in the pamphlet before us; the author of which is entitled to our thanks for the very proper manner in which he has publicly expreffed his disbelief of the abovementioned groundless report.

SINGLE SERMON 3.

Art. 68. A Review of English Literature, as it respects Moral and Religious Inquiry, recommended: preached before the University of Cambridge, Oct. 25, 1789, being the Anniversary of his prefent Majefty's happy Acceflion to the Throne. By W. Purkis, 1s. Cadell. 1790. D. D. F. S. A. &c. &c. 4to. pp. 20.

The Review, which Dr. Purkis here propofes, would be peculiarly feafonable, and fuch as every friend to truth, virtue, and • We are now genuine Christianity, muft with to fee take place.

advancing, (he obferves,) to the clofe of a moft active and inquifitive century; during which, and fome few years of the laft, fcience has been greatly improved, and has received a new foundation :opinions of the first import have been minutely canvaffed.-Religious truth in particular has undergone a fevere, and accurate fcrutiny, and feems to be fixed on its proper bafis.--Philological learning in general appears happily adjulled.-Our language has been cultivated. Our ftyle has varied, has been improved, but I fear is

beginning to decline.-The ftrength of the human abilities has been tried in abstract fpeculations to their utmost limits by men of the most enlarged understanding: thefe are now beginning to fink into conjecture, or metaphyfical paradox, which must end in general fcepticifm.-A fpecies of philofophical dreams are growing into fashion, which, by a forced analogy, would announce every order of beings, whether vegetable, animal, or rational, as the fame in kind, and rifing only by imperceptible gradation into higher degrees of excellence, as they abound with more faculties and are more mechanically modified: thus confounding motion with thought, which feem in their operation and effect effentially diftinct from each other. How valuable would a proper felection of learning be, and how conducive to the cause of moral goodness! When we could take a review of those particulars by which truth has received fupport: or when we could compare the deficiencies of the early writings with our present advancement, and fix nearly the boundaries of proper and useful inquiry, it would prevent perfons of a defultory turn of mind, who fee too haftily, from claffing all moral investigation together as incapable of fixed principles. With refpect to Chriftianity, we fhall have it in our power to remark (what I think has not been fufficiently taken notice of) the ftriking inconfiftency of deiftical writers: all aiming to deftroy the Gofpel by principles or arguments which contradict one another: each of which forms fuppofitions that cannot be allowed if Chriftianity be true, or if the reafoning of their fellow-labourers be just. It would be our glory indeed (and it is in our power) to hand down to pofterity a manual of every fpecies of literature; as well works of judgment, of abftract fcience, of philofophy, and natural history, as of genius, and refined imagination. But the fubject, which I wish not to lofe fight of, and I am anxious fhould undergo a review and felected publication, regards the moral principles of the world, and involves in it perhaps the fecurity of the Gospel.'

The Bishop of Landaff's valuable publication of a collection of Theological Tracts, may posibly have given Dr. Purkis the idea on which he fo judiciously enlarges in the fermon now before us; and the work which he recommends to the learned members of the Univerfity, may be confidered as a continuation and completion of the Bishop's defign. He propofes that they fhould publifh, on a methodical plan, cheap editions of fuch authors of approved merit, as might form a compendium to conduct their youth in moral inquiry-for the motives of duty-the proofs of God and his attributes-the evidences of Scripture-and the clearly established and avowed doctrines of the Gofpel. To thefe, he proposes to add fome of the ableft defences of civil and ecclefiaftical polity.'

It would be a reflection on the University of Cambridge to receive these useful hints of their admirable preacher in vain. We most

Dr. Purkis previously ftated the reafon on which he grounds this fear, in the following words. In every language, clearness of expreffion and fimplicity of thought are the first marks of elegance; and a language is haftening to decay, when its periods over-abound with epithets, and fink into point. A very just remark.

fincerely

fincerely hope that they will attend to them, and that Dr. Purkis will himself affift in carrying them into execution; in order that, by the republication, and, where it can be done without injury, by the compreffion, of the moft judicious treatifes on the grounds of morality, and on the evidences of natural and revealed religion, the ftudents at our Universities may be furnished, in a few volumes, with a library of moral and religious learning. Moy Art. 69. The Predictions of the Apostles concerning the End of the World. Preached before the Univerfity of Cambridge, May 23, 1790. By Thomas Edwards, LL. D. 8vo. PP. 36. IS. Cadell. Dr. Edwards, in continuation of his defign of engaging the attention of the learned *, to certain difficulties in the hiftorical parts of the Scriptures, of which a full folution has, in his opinion, never yet been given, here argues against the common notion of the infpiration of the Scriptures, from the imperfection of their style, and from that obfcurity which has given occafion to endless controverfies; and he charges them with confiderable error, in the predictions of the Apostles concerning the end of the world. In order to make good this charge, he diftinétly examines feveral paffages of the New Teftament, particularly Matth. xvi. 28. xxiv. 1 Theff. v. 4. and Heb. x. 25. and concludes that thefe are abundantly fufficient to establish Mr. Locke's opinion, (Vide ad 2 Cor. v. 3.) that the Apoftles expected, in their own time, the end of the world, and the appearance of Chrift. He adds, It becomes the antagonist of our hiftorian, (Mr. Gibbon,) most earnestly to confider, whether the real interefts of Chriftianity would not be more effentially promoted by conceding the objection to the adverfary, than by vainly attempting to remove it.'-The criticisms in this difcourfe, (whe ther fatisfactory or not, we do not undertake to determine,) are ingeniously fupported; and the author offers them, not as the decifions of a dogmatist, but as the doubts of an inquirer.' E. Art. 70. A Difcourfe on the Love of our Country, delivered on Nov. 4. 1789, at the Meeting-houfe in the Old Jewry, to the Society for commemorating the Revolution in Great Britain. With an Appendix, containing the Report of the Committee of the Society: an Account of the Population of France; and the Declaration of Rights by the National Affembly of France. Fourth Edition, with Additions, containing Letters and Communications from France, with the Answers to them. By Richard Price, D. D. F.R.S. 8vo. PP.44: Cadell. 1790.

In the preface to this fourth edition, Dr. Price takes fome notice of the torrent of abuse which this fermon has drawn upon him: but fays he, I cannot think of employing my time in making any replies. Knowing that it has been the labour of my life to promote thofe interefts of liberty, peace, and virtue, which I reckon the best interefts of mankind; and believing that I have not laboured quite in vain, I feel a fatisfaction that no oppofition can take from me,

See our account of his Difcourfe at Cambridge, March 7, 1790, Rev. Oft. laft, p. 236.

and

and fhall fubmit myself in filence to the judgment of the public, without taking any other notice of the abuse I have met with, than. by mentioning the following inftance of it.

In p. 49, I have adopted the words of fcripture, Now letteft thou thy fervant depart in peace, and expreffed my gratitude to God for having fpared my life to fee a "diffufion of knowledge that has undermined fuperftition and error, a valt kingdom (purning at flavery, and an arbitrary monarch led in triumph and furrendering him felf to his fubjects." Thefe words have occafioned a comparison of me (by Mr. Burke, in his Reflections on the Revolution in France) to Hugh Peters, attended with an intimation that, like him, I may not die in peace; and he has described me, p.99, &c. as a barbarian delighted with blood, profaning fcripture, and exulting in the riot and flaughter at Versailles on the 6th of October last year. I hope I fhall be credited when, in anfwer to this horrid mifreprefentation and menace, I affure the public that the events to which I referred in these words were not thofe of the 6th of October, but thofe only of the 14th of July and the fubfequent days; when, after the conquest of the Bafile, the King of France fought the protection of the National Affembly, and, by his own defire, was conducted, amidst acclamations never before heard in France, to Paris, there to fhew himself to his people as the restorer of their liberty!"

After expreffing his furprize at Mr. B.'s want of candour, of which he adduces a farther proof, the Doctor adds the following reflection:

But what candour or what moderation can be expected in a perfon fo frantic with zeal for hereditary claims and aristocratical diftinctions. as to be capable of decrying popular rights, and the aid of philofophy in forming governments; of lamenting that the age of Chivalry is gone; and of believing that the infults offered by a mob to the Queen of France have extinguished for ever the glory of EUROPE.' The Additions may be had feparately, price 6d.

Art. 71. The faithful Servant crowned. Preached April 13, at the Interment of the late Rev. James Newton, M. A. Minifter of the Congregation in the Pithay, Bristol, and claffical Tutor to the Bristol Education-Society; who departed this Life, April 8, 1790. By Caleb Evans, D. D. Together with the Funeral Oration at the Grave, by John Tommas. 8vo. PP. 34. Dilly.

6d.

A very plain and ferious exhortation to private Chriftians, but more especially to the minifters of religion, to be faithful unto death, (the text, Rev. ii. 16). Dr. Evans yields to a common propensity in divines, of finding more in his text than it was defigned to imply: thus he interprets the words "I will give thee a crown of life," as, particularly intended to fuggeft to us that the rewards promifed to Christ's faithful fervants, fhall be immediately conferred on them by the Saviour himself. I will not fend Gabriel, or any of the angelic holts, to crown thee, but I, myfelf, will, with my own hands, place upon thy head a crown of life.' P. 19. Had Dr. Evans recollected the common maxim, qui facit per alterum, facit

per

per fe, he would not have indulged himself in the above paraphrafe.

The Memoir speaks highly of the learning of Mr. Newton, and obferves of his virtue, that he never made an enemy, nor loft a friend.

The funeral oration contains thofe folemn and indifputable truths which conftitute the bulk of difcourfes on occafions of this nature. We never perufe funeral fermons and orations, without recollecting an obfervation of the Duc de la Rochefoucault, who fays, Il n'y a que la mort qui foit certaine, et cependant nous agissons comme fi c'etoit la feule chofe incertaine *." Moo-y.

Art. 72. Preached at the Anniversary Meeting of the Sons of the Clergy, in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, May 14, 1789. By the Rev. William Vincent, D. D. Sub-Almoner to his Majefty. 4to. pp. 15. 1s. Rivingtons.

Mr. Vincent is an able advocate for a moft excellent charity: he treats his fubject with judgment; and he defcribes the fufferings of the inferior clergy and their families very feelingly. Every clergyman is a gentleman by profeflion, and fhould be enabled not only to live with credit, but to make a comfortable provifion for his widow and family.-Surely a regulation of livings is much wanted. It grieves us to fee one clergyman indulging in all the luxuries of life, while another, far bis fuperior, perhaps, in abilities, and merit of every kind, is almost starving. B-w.

Art. 73. An Exhortation to a devout Behaviour in the Church, during the Time of divine Service. By the Rev. J. Twentyman, Vicar of Caftle-Sowerby, Cumberland. 8vo. PP. 24. Longman.

68.

A plain, well meant, ferious difcourfe. The author feems very defirous of correcting a great and general evil.-We wish him fuccefs.

Art. 74. Suicide. Preached March 13, 1790, in the Parish Church of Hurstmonceux in Suffex, at the Funeral of John Mitton. By the Rev. Lewis Turnor. 4to. pp. 26. Is. Williams. A fenfible, ferious, and pathetic difcourfe; which we doubt not greatly affected thofe who heard it; and which, we hope, will fill all who read it, with a juft abhorrence of a crime fo prevalent in this nation, and fo pernicious to feciety.

Do

CORRESPONDENCE.

In the diftribution of praife and cenfure to which our office calls us, we have frequently the mortification to find, that our opinions do not exactly correfpond with thofe which authors entertain of their own productions. Unqualified and unfupported applaufe, as it would be easier for us, would often be more welcome to them,

We are certain of nothing but death, yet we act as if we thought that alone to be doubtful.

than