and not fuited to the feelings of most of our hearers and readers. H. The worthy Author of these two fermons, the publication of which was but lately made known to us, is a firm friend to Chriftianity, and a zealous defender of its truth. His fentiments are indeed widely different from thofe which are commonly esteemed orthodox; the falfehood of fome of this kind he is fully convinced of, and is warm and confident in opposing them. Whatever may be his peculiarities, he appears to be a worthy and good man, who wishes well to the cause of truth and religion. His claffing papifts with unbelievers in the title page is rather fingular; but he fays in the introduction, the papift, if he calmly confiders, will affuredly know that his faith is not the refult of a judgment founded on the written New Testa. ment canon; but it is merely an implicit credulity in his priest, and in what his prieft calls the church. He ought not, after this, to think himself at all infulted by being put into the company of unbelievers. In fact, a papist, as fuch, has no religion; fince he has neither eyes nor ears of his own, for he facrificeth his reafon and understanding at the altar of mystery, and blindly fubjugates confcience to prictly dominion.' The interpretation which he here gives of the humiliation and exaltation of Jefus Chrift, he fays, has afforded him the most folid fatisfaction, after about forty years more ftated enquiry,' and he hopes may be serviceable to others. Whatever imperfections,' he adds, may be found in the ftyle, language, or fentiment, thefe difcourfes fpeak the genuine conceptions of a man who muft, according to the courfe of nature, foon have a perfonal interview with that fame divine perfonage, whom the one God the Father has conftituted the one Lord over the dead and over the living.' We We fhall only add a paragraph from the conclufion of these fermons, on which the Reader will form his own judgment.-'I would add, that the worship of the papal church is anti-chriftian, and idolatrous: for it makes ufe of many mediators.-It is faid, I am afraid too juftly, that that shocking popish fuperftition is now gaining ground, in a proteftant chriftian nation,-but if it be true, it can do no other than deprave and unchriftianize the fpirit of our people-for the worship of papal Rome is not at all fit for men, confidered either as rational beings or as chriftians. And were it not for the diffipation and debauchery, which are become epidemical, and an avowed aim in public a to give a defpotic fway to the British fceptre, we might all be aftonished at the delufion.' Art. 29. A Difcourfe on Repentance. By Thomas Mole *. 8vo. 2s. Johnfon. 1776. H. This difcourfe confifts of eleven fections, in which the nature of the gospel difpenfation is confidered, and repentance fhewn to be an effential qualification for the forgiveness of fin: the learned and ju dicious Author enquires how far the promife of forgiveness relates to the prefent ftate of the world, and offers feveral arguments to prove the efficacy of true repentance to the remiffion of thofe fins which men commit after believing and profeffing the gofpel: objections to thefe arguments are examined and obviated; and the neceffity of repentance infifted on and enforced. The treatife is concluded with an addrefs, to fuch as by early inftruction in religion have engaged in the profeffion of it; to fuch as by various delufive pretenfions are induced to delay their repentance; to fuch as give themselves up to a life of fenfuality and fin; and to fuch as indulge themselves in the habitual commiffion of any one fin. These feveral points our Author treats with ingenuity, piety, and perfpicuity. The addreffes to different perfons, in the conclufion, are earneft, fenfible, weighty, and convincing; becoming a chriftian minifter who fincerely wishes to promote the true intereft and happiness of his hearers. His addrefs to thofe in the younger part of life is thus introduced; It is a method which many take at prefent in educating their children, to train them up in the knowledge of the world, and to qualify them for figuring among the gay part of it. But, I fear, confidering what is meant by the world,' that this is leading them in at the wrong gate, and that they will be found the happieft in the end, who have known the leaft of it. For to what doth fuch an early familiarity tend, but to the contracting a faft friendship with the world, which is enmity with God; and of which Chrift in his time, declared, they have both feen and hated both me and my Father.' We shall only add, that we have read this performance with pleafure, and think it well calculated to promote the most important interefts of mankind. The Rev. Mr. Mole, of Uxbridge, one of the oldeft diffenting minifters in the kingdom. M. Art. Art. 30. Benjamini Kenicotti Epiftola ad celeberrimum Profefforem Joannem Davidem Michaelis; de Cenfurâ primi Tomi Bibliorum Hebraicorum nuper Editi, in Bibliotheca ejus Orientali, Parte XI. 8vo. 1s. Oxoni, Proftat venalis apud Rivington, Londini. 1777. It is not poffible that fuch a work as that which Dr. Kennicott is now publishing fhould be wholly free from objections and fufpicions: all that can be expected is, that it should be as perfect as the ftate of manufcript copies and verfions will admit, and that a clear, fair, and faithful order fhould be preferved in reciting the various readings, and criticifing them. Men of learning, of candour, and piety, it might be hoped, will be open and ingenuous in propofing their difficulties about it, and not rafhly condemn or cenfure. But great minds are not free from human frailties, and envy fometimes cleaves to them ftrongly. This may have been the cafe with fome of Dr. Kennicott's opponents: but is furely not to be fuppofed of Dr. Michaëlis! a profefled friend to and encourager of the great undertaking in which Dr. K. is engaged! The Latin pamphlet before us, however, exhibits complaints, and, as it appears, juft complaints, of the conduct of Dr. M., who, in a pamphlet published above a year ago, occafionally introduces feveral infinuations and objec tions to the difadvantage of Dr. Kennicott's performance. learned Oxonian, with great reafon complains, that his German friend fhould not have imparted immediately to him his difficulties and remarks, or that if he thought it proper to make them public, he fhould not directly have fent him the book in which they were contained, as he had done the other parts of the fame work; whereas he faw this only accidentally, and fome time after it had been sent forth into the world. As we have not feen the eleventh number of the Bibliotheque, which contains the animadverfions here alluded to, we are not fufficiently qualified to judge concerning the controversy. But we may fay that Dr. Kennicott appears to have flated the objections fairly, and, in general, to have anfwered them fully. Our It is difficult to affign a reafon for this clandestine kind of attack which Dr. Michaëlis has made; but he may be able, perhaps, to vindicate himself in a better manner than we apprehend. Dr. Kennicott concludes with requefting, that his antagonist would, without delay, publish this defence with that part of his work in which fo many accufations have been fcattered. 'This,' fays he, you will not object to, if you are fincere in faying that the charge you bring arifes not from envy or malevolence, but from a pure regard to truth: if you do object to it I recur to what you advanced twenty-three years ago, Left we should do any injury to Kennicott, we defire to correct whatever may have been more hastily written.' This pamphlet contains alfo a fhort letter to the Reader concerning F. Fabricius, who, in two volumes, which he has lately published at Rome, has given, Dr. Kennicott tells us, an unjust and falfe account of the Hebrew manufcripts preferved in Italy. AMERICAN AMERICAN CONTROVERSY. Art. 31. An Addrefs to the Inhabitants of Penfilvania, by thofe Freemen of the City of Philadelphia who are now confined in the Mafons Lodge, by virtue of a General Warrant, figned in Council by the Vice Prefident of the Council of Penfilvania. 8vo. 4d. Philadelphia printed, London reprinted, by Phillips in George Yard. 1777. State neceflity hath often been pleaded in defence of general warrants, which have long been made ufe of, even in this land of liberty. and which having lately received a remarkable check + here, have now found their way to America, where the occafional convenience of these engines of defpotifm, has not efcaped the obfervation of the new governments established in the English colonies. In the prefent unfettled and diftracted ftate of public affairs in North-America, it is no wonder that recourfe hath been had to this fummary mode of providing for the fecurity of, what they call, the ftate. With the British army thundering in their ears, and the profpect of impending ruin, from which, humanly fpeaking, nothing could fave them but a speedy flight,it would have been trange remiffness in the council of Penfylvania, if they had paid no attention to the conduct of thofe of their fellow-citizens of whom they had, or thought they had, reafon to entertain any degree of fufpicion. The warrant, by virtue of which the addreffers were taken into cuftody, imports, that the gentlemen therein named, were of the number of thofe perfons who had, "in their general conduct and converfation, evidenced a difpofition inimical to the cause of America ;" and whom it was "neceffary, for the public fafety," at fo dangerous a ciis, to fecure:-unless they would. promife in writing, to remain in their dwelling houfes, ready to appear on demand of council, and mean while, refrain from doing any thing injurious to the united states, &c. and from giving intelligence to the commander of the British forces, &c.'- -With which they refused to comply; confidering the requifition as illegal and tyrannical. The gentlemen (who were chiefly quakers), on being arrefted, and confined in the free mafons lodge, boldly and refolutely protefted against this violent procedure; they afferted their innocence, they called for a public hearing, and they required to face their accufers. Thefe demands were referred to the congrefs; and the remonftrants were, foon after, informed, that they fhould be released from thei confinement, provided they would fubfcribe to the test (mentioned in the note below), which congrefs would accept in full fatisfaction of all their fufpicions. The dates of the feveral papers of which this pamphlet is compofed, run from Auguft 31, to September 9. Thanks to the fpirit and intrepidity of Johnny Wilkes, for this advantage to the caufe of civil liberty. Viz. "I do fwear (or affirm) that I will be faithful, and bear true allegiance to the common-wealth of Penfylvania, as a free and independent ftate, &c." REV. Jan. 1778. To this condition the prifoners, with a manly firmnefs, refufed to fubmit; while on the other hand, is it to be wondered at, if their very refusal served to ftrengthen the fufpicions that had been conceived, to their detriment; and that they were, in confequence, ordered to prepare themselves for banishment.? On this intimation, the prisoners renewed their remonftrances and demands of an hearing,-the continued denial of which was undoubtedly a cruel hardship, whatever were or were not, their demerits, with respect to the matter in accufation. In fine, we fuppofe § the gentlemen were actually fent out of the province, in confequence of their finally "refufing," as the refolve of the council expreffes it, "to promife to refrain from correfponding with the enemy, &c."-on the word refrain, the prifoners have this comment: the charge against us of refufing to promife to refrain from correfponding with the enemy, infinuates that we have already held fuch correfpondence, which we utterly and folemnly deny." The remonftrances made by these gentlemen, during their confinement, are drawn up with a becoming fpirit, and manly energy; and feem to have been written by the quakers; a fet of men who although fat friends to monarchy, never were known to bow to the Baal of oppreffion, or to conform to the arbitrary requifitions of any power on earth. Art. 32. POLITICAL. The Caledonian Dream. Infcribed to the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Chatham. 4to. Is. Fielding and Co. 1777. The Author dreams, as most of his countrymen do, of the fpeedy fubjugation of the Americans:-waking or fleeping we fee, the bonny Caledonians are awe for goo-vernment. Art. 33. Letters occafioned by three Dialogues concerning Liberty; wherein the Author's Doctrine respecting the State of Nature, is fhewn to be repugnant to Nature. To which are added, Remarks on Dr. Price's additional Obfervations on the Nature and Value of Civil Liberty. By Jofeph Wimpey. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Johnson. 1777. Although Mr. W. differs, widely from the judicious Author of the three dialogues, and from Dr. Price, on the fubject of civil liberty, yet he argues the feveral points with temper, and decency of language; a circumftance which our difcerning Readers will accept as, at leaft, prefumptive evidence of his good fenfe, and judgment. Art. 34. Second Thoughts, or obfervations ou Lord Abingdon's Thoughts on the Letter of Edmund Burke, Efq. to the Sheriffs of Bristol. By the Author of the Anfwer† to Mr. Burke's Letter. 8vo. I s. 6d. Cadell. 1777. This antagonist of Lord Abingdon's, difcovers confiderable ability, and, especially an extenfive knowledge of the British conftitution. Unless they had the good fortune to be fet at liberty by General Howe, who took poffeffion of Philadelphia, on the 26th of the fame month. The place of their banishment, was Staunton in the county of Augufta, in Virginia. See Review, vol. lv. p. 218-249. + See Rev. July, 1777, p. 85. |