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nected with them; and to draw out a very compleat and per fect system of the divine, focial, and moral virtues. This (he thinks) will hardly be denied by any, who know the hiftory of the Philofophers, or of the learned men among the ancient Heathens, and are acquainted with their fentiments and tenets.

Many of Mr. Orr's Readers will probably differ from him' in their fentiments upon this fubject, which, notwithstanding all that has been written upon it, is, in our opinion, of very little importance. The fufficiency The fufficiency or infufficiency of human reason in matters of religion, is one of those points that can never be determined in a fatisfactory manner, and in regard to which perfons of equal abilities and equal candor, may entertain very different fentiments, according to the different points of view in which they behold it. Those who attentively confider the grofs ignorance of the Heathen world, together with the abfurd and ridiculous notions which even the wifeft of their Philofophers entertained, in feveral important points, will naturally be inclined to think that human reason, when left to itself, is incapable of inveftigating the principles, and forming a perfect scheme, of Religion. Those, on the other hand, who have turned their thoughts to religious fubjects in the early part of life, and have found not difficulty in comprehending the evidence for the great truths and principles of Religion, when laid before them in a clear and diftinct manner, will be ftrongly difpofed to think, that reafon is fufficient of itfelf, without the aid of revelation, for tracing out the principles, and forming a confiftent system of divinity. We shall only obferve farther upon this fubject, that whatever may be fuppofed to be the natural ftrength of human reason in matters of Religion, it will be of little fervice to mankind, unless they are placed in favourable circumstances for exerting it. Man is undoubtedly capable of difcovering many truths, which he never has difcovered, nor perhaps ever will difcover; for this obvious reafon, that his circumftances and fituation are unfavourable to fuch difcovery. But it is time to return to our Author.

After delineating fuch a scheme of Religion as, he thinks, falls within the province of nature, and has actually been made out by many, very clearly, accurately, and fully, abftracted from the difcoveries of a fupernatural revelation, he proceeds to give a fhort view of the rife and progrefs of falfe Religion. And here he does not enter into any critical or curious difquifitions, about the origin and progreffion of the

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idolatry and fuperftition of the old Pagan world, but taking nature, and fome undoubted hiftorical facts for his guide, contents himself with a fummary account of the rife and dual advances of the fyftem of the Gentile Polytheifm and fuperftition. He concludes the firft Part of his work with confidering the improvement and reinforcement, which Religion has received, from the revelation of the Gofpel.

Now the great end of all Religion, whether natural or revealed, being the improvement of mankind in virtue and moral excellence, this end, we are told, the Gofpel promotes, by the wifest and best means that have ever been propofed for effecting it. It lays before us the moft lively reprefentation of the worth and importance of moral goodness, as being of the highest excellence in itself, the only thing of real value and eftimation with our Maker, and the fole means of obtaining his favour. It gives us the most awakening description of the baseness and malignant confequences of vice, as being the ftain and corruption of every intelligent being who is habituated to it, the disease and death of a rational fpirit, a thing altogether deteftable and abominable in the fight of him who is original excellence and purity, and which neceffarily excludes from all happy intercourfe and communion with him. It exhibits to our view the most affecting and interesting account of the character of God, as the fountain of life, wisdom, perfection and happinefs; the Creator, Proprietor, and Lord of the Univerfe; the indulgent and merciful Father of the human kind, whom he created at first, out of pure goodness, and whom he ftill continues in being that he may do them good; their holy and juft Governor and Judge, who obferves their conduct as reasonable and moral agents, and who will render to them, hereafter, according to their deeds. It has adopted and established all the great laws of univerfal righteoufnefs, which have their foundation in the conftitution of nature, and laid the greatest ftrefs on the practice of the duties required by thefe laws; declaring it to be the fum and substance, the completion, and ultimate end of all true Religion. It has wifely appointed a few positive external duties and rites, which are vifibly calculated for raifing the minds, and ftrengthening the affections of weak mortals, in the contemplation and purfuit of virtue; and which, if used according to the natural and true intention of them, must always have a happy influence for these purposes. It has exacted obedience to its laws, by the most powerful and interefting confiderations; not only by the feREV. June, 1762. veral

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veral motives which the light of nature offers for exciting us to the practice of virtue, but by opening a new and moft wonderful difpenfation of grace and love, in the redemption of mankind; by giving us the most free and full offers of pardon and eternal happiness, upon the conditions of repentance and new obedience, in a manner beft fuited to remove the fufpicions of our guilty minds; by promifing to us expressly a divine affiftance, to co-operate with, and to give fuccefs to our own endeavours in virtue; by exhibiting to us a familiar and most alluring example of perfect virtue in our own nature; by granting us an affurance of another life, much stronger than the fuggeftions of nature could afford, and by giving us even an earnest and pledge of it in the refurrection and afcenfion of our Saviour; and, finally, by displaying the moft folemn and awful scenes beyond the grave, the refurrection of the dead, the general judgment of the world, and the equal diftribution of rewards and punishments, to the righteous and to the wicked.

In the fecond Part of his performance, Mr. Orr treats briefly of the evidences of natural and revealed Religion in general, and answers fome of the most material objections that have been urged against them. The third, which is very fhort, contains fome few reflections upon the excellence and importance of true Religion,. He concludes with fome ufeful obfervations, addreffed to thofe who difbelieve, or doubt the truth of Religion, and to those who profefs to be believers of it.

We cannot conclude this article without recommending Mr. Orr's performance as a very ufeful and judicious work; confidering the clafs of Readers for which it is principally intended. We scarce know of any book that contains a more rational view of Religion, that is better calculated to promote its interefts, or that breathes a more candid and amiable fpirit.

Crazy Tales. 4to. 4s. fewed. No Publisher.

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HERE is hardly a fcience in the whole circle, that is not too complex and comprehenfive to be fuccefsfully cultivated, without dividing the ftudy of it into feveral diftinct and feparate branches. Thus, in the profound and extentive science of Book-making, the invention of Title-pages

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belongs to a particular province, which is efteemed by many not the least effential, and to require no lefs abilities than any other branch of that fublime ftudy. Our Author doubtlefs conceived himself an adept in this refpect, when he ftyled his productions Crazy Tales. How fignificant! how exquifitely droll! For you must not fufpect, Reader, that they are actually the productions of a Writer, literally non compos mentis. It is true, they do no great honour to his intellects; yet they seem rather to be the wanton effects of a loose and debauched imagination, than the ferious vagaries of a diftempered brain. Were the work, indeed, as harmlefs as the title, we should only have fmiled at this innocent fcheme of exciting the attention of the Public. Certain it is, that in an age or country, where literary productions are fcarce, the performances of true genius, unaffected wit, and folid fenfe, need no other recommendation than their own merit; but in times and places where works of literature abound, where genius, wit, and fenfe are daily exerted and difplayed for our inftruction or amufement, we fee fomething more than ingenuity, fimplicity, or folidity, is requifite to excite present attention, and enfure a favourable reception with the Public. The luxury of wit is, in this refpect, like that of wealth; from whofe influence it happens that if beef and mutton find their way to the tables of our modern epicures, it is not because they are wholesome and nutritive, but for the fake of that vehicle of fauce they are brought in, and because they are introduced under fo ftrange a metamorphofis, as hardly to be known under the difguife. Into how many fantastic forms hath this kind of luxury contrived to difh up the fimple and wholefome aliment nature provides! What whimsical transformations are our viands daily made to undergo, in order to accommodate them to the caprices of vitiated tafte and depraved appetite! Deftructive refinements! Nor is our mental entertainment lefs fubjected to thefe falfe improvements of art. Our intellectual appetites appear to be equally depraved, while the luxury of wealth is not more pernicious to bodily constitution and health, than the luxury of wit to good fenfe and morality.

It is doubtless to this luxurious and vitiated taste that we are indebted for some strange phænomena, that have been recently exhibited in the Republic of Letters. It appeared to be in conformity to the public tafte that the reverend Author, whom the prefent Writer affects to imitate, threw off the gown and caflock to affume the fool's coat, changed the grave

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and decent ftyle of a Clergyman, to talk in the high-bred ftrain of a debauchee, and introduced a fet of pious difcourfes to the world, by the help of a string of profane execrations and fmutty jefts. Our Author will probably lay hold of this circumstance, and tell us that the fault is chargeable on the Public, and not on the Writer, who is thus reduced to accommodate himself to the humour of the times. This excufe, bad as it is, might poffibly be admitted in extenuation of the faults of thofe who, under the circumstances of writing for bread, have no other dependance than on the taste of the multitude. But ought we not to remind others, that true wit and genuine humour depend not on the caprice of the times; and to affure them that the credit an Author may obtain with the herd, by writing, in complaifance to his Readers, what he ought to be afhamed of, will be but of fhort duration? This Writer tells us, "The world must be amused; but, like the befoin d'aimer, there is no neceffity for perfection to be one of the tranfient objects of its amusement.” But, might he not as well carry his comparison with the befoin d'aimer a little farther, and apologize for turning pimp, by telling us that public stews are neceffary; and that when a man is under a phyfical neceffity for a damfel, it is not requifite she should be modeft or cleanly? We would ask him, whether, if fornication and adultery were become ever fo frequent or fashionable, the character of a public Pander would be lefs criminal in itself, or lefs juftly deteftable in the eyes

of mankind?

"Outcries (fays he) againft writings, compofed with no worfe intention than to promote good humour and chearfulnefs, by fighting against the Tadium Vita, were reserved for an age of refined hypocrify. There ought to be a great diftinction between obfcenity, evidently defigned to inflame the paffions, and a ludicrous liberty, which is frequently neceffary to fhew the true ridicule of hypocritical characters, which can give offence to none but fuch as are afraid of every thing that has a tendency to unmasking." This Writer feems here to fuppofe the decency or indecency of any performance dependent entirely on the intention of the Writer; and, in another place, he intimates his ability to clear himself, on a proper occafion, of all intentional obscenity. If thefe apologies are not made merely with a view to heighten the fuppofed joke, and laugh in the face of the Reader, the Author must furely have very ftrange notions of decency. We will not presume to say what were his designs or intentions in writing

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