By our Animadverter's expreffion-' just published under the name of, &c. the Reader who might chance to proceed no further than his title-page, would be apt to conclude, that he (the Author of these animadverfions) did not look upon the eleven letters, as really the product of the late Mr. Hervey's pen. This, however, is not the cafe; there is not the leaft room to fufpect their authenticity; nor does the Animad. verter fuppose them not to be genuine. It is from his laudable tendernefs for Mr. Hervey's memory, and his just abhorrence of fome tenets contained in those letters, that he feems willing to take advantage of their being a pofthumous publication, and that too, contrary to Mr. Hervey's dying request; in order to reprefent the book in question as being in fome fenfe, not altogether the work of fo pious and wellmeaning a writer. Mr. IIervey, fays he, is not the first person who has fuffered by the imprudent eiteem of friends. Contrary to his dying request, this anfwer was not deftroyed, but put into the hands of many. No wonder, therefore, that a furreptitious copy of it, as the Editor tells us, appeared in print. This (continues our Animadverter) is made the reafon for fending into the world the prefent piece; which, fuppofing it [the book] to be genuine, certainly reflects the higheft difcredit on Mr. Hervey's memory; and which, if it be not genuine, but poifoned by the infectious pen of a Cudworth † (as perhaps thofe who love Mr. Hervey beft, would rather chufe to believe) it is a dreadful reflection, that the popular name of fo worthy a man should be made the vehicle to convey fuch truly pernicious fentiments.'

To prove that Hervey's Eleven Letters to Wefley, really are the ve. hicle through which the most pernicious fentiments are conveyed to the public, our Author has here collected a number of paffages from thofe letters, fome of which are indeed fraught with fuch doctrines as are truly a moft fcandalous perverfion of the Chriftian religion. What will the fober-minded judicious reader fay to the following?

"This guilt [of fin] our Lord o truly bore, that he was no lefs liable to the arrest of justice and the infliction of vengeance, than if he himself had committed the most enormous crimes.He bore the filth -therefore he felt what thofe wretched fouls endure, who die in their iniquities; his eternal father forfook him, and hid his face from him, as from an abominable object – -This renders our Saviour's propitiation great, wonderful, and glorious. Believing this, we have nothing to fear: mething remains to be laid to our charge by the righteous judge." Herwey, p. 16, 17.

Is it poffible, fays our Animadverter, on this paffage, that any fe rious mind can attend to the above particulars without being filled with indignation? Did the greatness of our Saviour's propitiation confist in his feeling thofe agonies of defpair which are endured by damned fpirits, and in being detefted and abhorred by his father? God forbid ! What can be more horrible than to imagine this? If" we have nothing to fear, " there cannot be the leaft reafon that we should ever implore the forgiveness of our fins, or concern ourselves to avoid them.' The above cited paffages may ferve as fpecimens both of the abfurd

See Rev. for Feb, laft, p. 148.

† We have frequently met with this name, in the lift of modern fa

Tatics.

M 4

doctrines

doctrines contained in the letters, (a confiderable variety of which may be found in this pamphlet) and of our Author's manner of animadverting on them. We shall therefore conclude the article with a fhort extract from his introduction: which will not be deemed unfeasonable, by fuch of our Readers as are acquainted with the forprizing progrefs which fanaticifm hath lately made among us. We earnestly request, not the admirers of Mr. Hervey only, but fuch as are fond to hear opinions of this fort delivered from the pulpit, (from whence we are forry to find they are now too frequently delivered) we request them to ask their own hearts in fincerity, Whether they can conceive it poffible, that the eter mal Son of the most holy God, could have established a religion' which directly tends to remove all the obligations of virtue, piety, and truth, and to introduce the mo fhocking licentioufnefs in life and practice? That fuch is the confequence of that perverfion of the Chriftian religion marked out in the following pages, is not to be doubted; fince, if there was a neceflity, the writer of this could eafily produce many frenuous, and, as they would be thought, moft holy d fciples of this doctrine, guilty of fuch practices as are a difgrace to human nature, and as would totally overthrow the foundations of fociety, if generally inculcated and embraced.Who or what are the men here glanced at, we are not informed; but it is not improbable that our Author may have fufficient grounds for what he has faid: it being very natural for fuch tenets as are here exploded, not only to deprive thofe who efpoufe them, of all the benign influences of genuine piety, but also to loose them from the common Obligations of morality.

We cannot, however, take leave of this little well-meant tract, without noticing one paffage, which feems to require explanation. It is a great pity, fays our Author, and a fad mark of our declenfion from the fpirit of our forefathers, that books containing fuch deftructive notions, are fuffered to be published without proper animadverfion What does the Author inean by the spirit of our forefathers, and by proper enmadverfion? We know that the fpirit of our forefathers, with refpeft to freedom of thinking, fpeaking, or writing, was often a very narrow and perfecuting fpirit. This fpirit, God be praised! has been pretty well jaid; and we hope the fenfible Writer of this pamphlet would not wifh to conjure it up again :-and as to proper animadverfion, if he means any other kind of animadverfion than fuch as he hath himself here beftowed upon Mr. Hervey, (a little wholefome pen-and-ink calligation) we are very forry for it. We have had enough, furely, and more than enough, of perfecution for fentimental differences; and we hope there is an end of ali fech popifh, tyrannical, far-chamber practice in this nation: for, wicked as the principies of our antinomians, and fome other modern fetaries, may be deemed, they are innocent and harmlefs, compared with fuch modes of animadverfion as occationed the fentence of condemnation to be paffed on the writings of the immortal LOCKE, and conducted the truly noble and amiable SIDNEY to the scaffold.

Art. 10. The Plain Man's Guide to the True Church: or an Expotion of the 9th Article of the Apostle's Creed: viz. The Holy Capholic Church, the Communion of Saints. 8vo. IS. Owen.

The church to which the readers of this tract are guided, is the church

of England, as by law eftablished. The Author is thoroughly orthodox, a ftrict trinitarian, and a zealous maintainer of the divine inftitution of epifcopacy. No cburch, he fays, can be reputed true, proper, perfect churches, nor can be exempted from the guilt of notorious and inexcuable fchifmn; that refufes epifcopal government, where it may be had, and where it is duly established. This point we leave to be fettled, at leifure, between this anonymous Author and the diffenting gentleman to whom the public is indebted for the next-mentioned performance.

Art. 11. Epifcopacy. A Letter to the Rev. Mr. Fofler, the Author of a late Pamphlet, entitled, Two Letters from a late Diffenting Teacher; with an Anfwer to the former, and Animadverfions on the latter. By Thomas Howe. 8vo. 2s. Dilly.

We flightly mentioned Mr. Fotter's performance, in our Review for July 1764, p. 73. To enter more into the merits of Mr. Howe's Reply, might be deemed unfair; and therefore we fhall only say, that the prefent letter to Mr. F. contains a notable defence of the Diffenters, with regard to their rejection of the epifcopal scheme.

Art. 12. A Letter to the Jews; wherein their religious System is confuted the Reafon affigned of their being fo long excluded from the Land of Canaan; and a Method pointed out, through the Obfervance whereof, they may be infallibly affured of being reftored. To which is added, a feafonable Admonition to the Public. By Thomas Goddard, A. M. 8vo. 6d. Baldwin.

The Jews have Mofes and the prophets: if they hear not them, neither will they be perfuaded-by Thomas Goddard,

Art. 12. An Antidote for the Rifing-age, against Scepticism and Infidelity. Being a collective View of the Argument in Proof of a divine Revelation. In a Series of Epifles from Credens to Scepticus. 12mo. 2s. Longman.

Rather an antidote against popery, than against fcepticism. It is true, the Author does not entirely overlook the infidels, but he feems to be not half fo much at enmity with them, as he is with the papifts. Indeed, he looks upon the church of Rome, and we believe very justly, as the great nurfing mother of infidelity; and therefore, his main view is, first, to demolim her. In proportion, fays he, as the French, Italians, or other catholics, make ufe of their reafon, and venture to judge for themselves of the nature of evidence, popery cannot do otherwise than become the fubject of ridicule; infomuch that in what degree foever they may have been led, by that fuperftition, to entertain contemptuous opinions either of the Jewish or Christian revelation, it could only be occafioned by thofe mifreprefentations which have been given of them by popery.-There is no doubt a great deal of truth in this remark; which may be extended to fome other denominations of Christians.

There is, however, nothing very extraordinary in these letters, which are ftrangely eked out with quotations from various un-named writers. The good intention of the Author is what he is chiefly to be commended for. We must alfo acknowledge the candor of his difpofition; and

the

the friendly regard which he expreffes for the free and rational exercise of the human understanding, on religious fubjects.

Art. 13. Epiftola ad Doctiffimum Virum Robertum Lowthium, S. T. P. In qua nonnulla, quæ ad nuperæ fuæ de Sacra Hebræorum Poefi Pralectionum Editionis calcem habet, expenduntur. A Thoma Edwards, A. M. Aul. Clar. Cantab. nuper Socio. 8vo. Is. Hooper.

This letter contains fome obfervations on what Dr. Lowth has advanced, in the fecond edition of his Prælections, in regard to Bishop Hare's hypothefis concerning the Hebrew poetry, which Mr. Edwards calls a happy difcovery, and which he endeavours to defend. As to the merit and value of the difcovery, the learned, in general, are pretty well agreed; and as to our Author's manner, our Readers may judge of it from the following fpecimens:

-Frivola prorfus et futilia profers, vir doctiffime, et te indigna. Inanem eorum, quæ in prima editione contra metricam Harianam differueras, repetitionem lectoribus tuis propinas: objectiones, nimirum, quibus jam fatis, nifi omnia me fallunt, in meis prolegomenis refponfum erat, denuo in medio ponis, et ad naufeam vfque iteras.'

1

-Profecto vix a me impetrare poffum ut non putem, te a metrica Hariana animo jam olim abhorruiffe, eamque adeo quo jure quaque injuria damnare et peffundare tibi decretum effe.'

Quoufque tandem, vir doctiffime, petitione principii nos obtundes, et Cranbe tua ad naufeam ufque repetita miferos occides ?'

-Verum, ut vides, cum animo ftatutum habes viam, quam inftituifti, tenere; hoc eft, quod non probe expendisti, neque adeo fatis intelligis, oppugnare:

Servatur ad imum,

Qualis ab incepto procefferat, et fibi conftat."

-Sed apage petitionem principii ! jum diu mihi naufeam creat."

Art. 14. A Harmony of the Four Gofpels, fo far as relateth to the Hiftory of our Saviour's Refurrection, with a Commentary and Notes. By Richard Parry, D. D. 4to. I S. Whiston. The Hiftory of our Saviour's refurrection having been ftrangely embarraffed, both by friends and enemies, Dr. Parry thinks it neither unfeasonable nor unneceffary to review it; in order, if poffible, he fays, to fatisfy the one, and to filence the other. And for this purpofe, little more is requifite, he apprehends, than to lay before the Reader, at one view, the feveral accounts of this important tranfaction, as we find it recorded by the Four Evangelifts. This he does by dividing the page into four columns, and affigning a feparate column to what is faid upon the fubject by each Evangelift.

According to his Harmony, the whole evangelical account of our Saviour's refurrection, he tells us, is plain and eafy; the feveral narrations are perfectly confiftent with each other, and every fubfequent relation naturally arifeth from the preceeding.

The Harmony is followed by a Commentary, wherein the Doctor gives the history of the refurrection in one continued narration, at the

clofe

clofe of which he confiders an objection, that may be drawn from St. Matthew, to the uniform faith of the apottles. It is in his account of the appearance in Galilee, where, having told us, that the ELEVEN faw Jefus, and worshipped him, he immediately addeth, oi de disadar, which our tranflators, the Doctor fays, have very improperly rendered, BUT fome, that is, fome of the eleven, doubted. Ch. xxviii. 16, 17. If the particle was away, we are told, there would be no difficulty; the confru&tion being, Και ιδόντες αυτον, οἱ εδίσασαν, προσεκύνησαν αυτῷ. Why then fhould that harmless particle, he afks, which is fo frequently pleonaftical, occafion any ?-After producing feveral paffages, where the particle is pleonaftical, he tells us, that the paffage in St. Matthew may be thas rendered :-When they (the eleven) who HAD doubted, (of his refurrection) faw him, they worshipped him.

The Commentary is followed by Notes, which the Doctor introduceth thus If, notwithstanding the foregoing Harmony and Commentary, any doubt fhould fill remain in the reader's mind, he may pof-, fibly find a folution in the Notes. But he muf not expect from me a particular refutation of fuch convict impertinencies, as differences under the name of inconfiftencies, and variations under the name of contradictions. Every thing, however, that feemeth to have the appearance of a real difficulty, fhall be fully and impartially confidered.'

We fhall only add, that the judicious Reader will find fome juft and pertinent criticisms in the Notes, but nothing that is new,

POLITICA L.

Art. 15. Political Logic difplayed: Or, a Key to the Thoughts on Civil Liberty, Licentioufness, and Faction. 8vo.

Newbery.

Is. 6d.

Mr. Pope, in his Effay on Criticifm, obferves, that there are certain writers, who,

Having ftore of wit

Yet want as much again to manage it.

The Author of the pamphlet before us appears to be one of this ftamp; his witticifas and criticifms being fo prepofteroufly blended together, that it is with difficulty the Reader can diftinguish when he is in jeft or in earneft, ferious or comical, or even his own thoughts from thofe of his opponent. From his title-page we are led to expect a key to Dr. Brown's Political Cabinet: on looking farther, however, we find that he hath either broke this pretended key in the lock, or fo entangled it in the multiplicity and tortuofity of the various wards, as not to be able to open the door or get his key fairly out again. In a word, this Antagonist seems much too young and unexperienced to encounter fo practifed a veteran as Dr. Brown. He hath one advantage indeed, which redounds however but little to his honour, and this is, the Doctor's having been already fo heartily mauled by others. There is yet after all, one thing more to be confidered, viz. the fuperior force of the Eftimator to withstand the attacks of his adverfaries. Not that either his ability to offend others, or defend himself, is the formidable part of his character; but the patience, the perfeverance, the happy indifference with which he hath learned to bear a beating, as effectually baffle the defigns of his opponents, as if he were clad in an iron doublet. It is

doubtless