Art. 40. An Enquiry after feveral important Truths; efpecially concerning the fubftantial Truth, the Son of God, the hidden God, the Saviour. And the most rational Mode of Worship. Taken from Scripture only. Without regard to received Opinions, or any human Authority whatever. With an Addrefs to the Rev. Mr. Lindsey. By J. W. E. a German Proteftant. 8vo. I S. Bew. 1778. Mr. Lindsay's defertion of the Church of England awakened this writer, we are told, to enquire afresh into the fubject of his pamphlet ; for which purpofe he had recourfe, as all Chriftians ought, to the holy fcriptures. The refult of his enquiry feems to be a confirmation in the doctrine of the Trinity; but though he may account himself orthodox in this particular, fhould he be strictly tried he might, perhaps, be found wanting. There is,' he fays, one only God. God is a fpirit: he is the almighty Father of all. Who has made himself known to us three ways. ift, By his works, the visible creation. 2ndly, By his vifible appearance and fubftantial word. 3dly, By his fpirit, fpeaking in the holy prophets and apoftles. In the firft of thefe views, we are faid to worship and praife the Almighty for his perfection, &c. In the fecond, to worship the fame God in Chrift, who in the greatnefs of his love has condefcended vifibly to reveal himself and his ways to us. In the third of thefe views, it is faid that when by his fpirit he works in us faith and hope, and love to him and our neighbour.-Then we worship and praise the fame God for thefe inestimable bleffings, this earnest of falvation.' This appears to regard the doctrine of the Trinity in a practical light rather than any other, and that is certainly the most important. This writer afks, why do we fay, there are three perfons in the Godbead? I find no fuch thing in fcripture.'-How much is it to be wished that we might have done with thefe difputes about words,, and confine ourselves in fuch inftances to fcripture language! H. Art. 41. The Fear of God, and Benefits of Civil Obedience. Two Sermons preached in the Parish Church of Harwich in Effex, June 21, 1778. By William Jones, B. A. Rector of Pafton in Northamptonshire, Minifter of Nayland in Suffolk, and F. R. S. 8vo. 1 s. Rivington, &c. Orthodoxy pleading for prerogative.-Right: Defpotifm always cherishes its friends. SERMON S. I. Preached before the Univerfity of Cambridge, Nov. 30, 1777By John Mainwaring, B. D. Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge. 4to. 15. Cambridge printed; fold by Beecroft, &c. in London. From the exhortation of St. Paul to Timothy, 2 Ep. i. 8. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the teftimony of our Lord; this Writer enquires into the causes which induce men to defert the engagements of truth, piety, and virtue. These causes he ranks under the heads of, Sordid Intereft, Unmanly Fear, and Falfe Shame; on each of which he offers many sensible observations. H. II. Preached 11. Preached at the Vifitation of the Bishop of London, in the Church of Thaxted, in Effex, May 28, 1778. By John Law, D. D. Archdeacon of Rochester, and Rector of Much-Easton, in Effex. 4to. I s. Payne, &c. A defence of the divine origin of the Chriftian religion, the argument drawn (as it frequently has been, by divines of every denomination of Chriftians) from the glaring improbability that a fcheme of impofture fhould be attempted, and even fucceed, at a period of time, and under circumftances, of all others, the most unfavourable to fuch a defign. It is farther infifted, that nothing but TRUTH could have flood the teft, and forced its way against all the oppofition which it met with from worldly intereft and power, aided by the fagacity of the most enlightened age that hath yet been diftinguifhed in the annals of mankind.-The Preacher, en paffant, glances at the 15th and 16th chapters of Mr. Gibbon's Roman Hiftory, as attacking Chriftianity with all the arts of infidious reafoning." III. Preached at the Ordination of the Rev. Ifaac Smith, June 24, 1778, at Sidmouth, Devon. By Thomas Wright. To which are annexed, A bort Difcourfe by John Ward; and a Declaration by Ifaac Smith, preceding the Ordination Prayer; with a Charge by Joshua Toulmin, A. M. Publifhed at the Requeft of the Minif ters and others prefent. 8vo. 1 S. Taunton printed, and fold by Dilly, &c. in London. The pieces contained in this publication are equally rational and pious; and may be perufed with fatisfaction by thofe members of other churches who may wish to gain fome knowledge of the religious principles and practices of Proteftant Diffenters: fuch of them, efpecially, as are diftinguished by their happy removal from the borders of fanaticism. IV. The Nature and Principles of Society, confidered, &c.-At Meriden. Before an Amicable Society of Tradefmen, &c. June 24, 1778. By John Adamthwaite, A. M. 4to. 9 d. Birmingham printed, and fold by Baldwin in London. The nature and principles of fociety are not very clearly defined in this Sermon,-which the Preacher styles, alfo, a Treatise, and a Differtation: titles which we fhould think better appropriated to more elaborate performances. V. Delivered in one of the Catholic Chapels, on the Propriety and Neceffity of taking the Oath of Allegiance tendered by Government. 4to. I s. Durham printed, and fold by Crowder in London. This is the first difcourfe that hath been published by the Roman Catholic priesthood fince the alteration of our laws, that hath lately been made in their favour. The difcourfe appears to be well adapted to the congregation to whom it was preached; and it clearly evinces the good fenfe, moderation, and gratitude of the Author. CORRESPONDENCE. J. B. may be affured that we meant nothing but pure civility" when we filed him our very accurate Correfpondert. We then deen.ed ourfelves really obliged to him for the communication of his fenti. ments and corrections; and we now fincerely thank him for the far ther ther proofs which he has given us, of his regard for the reputation of our Journal, by the reniarks contained in his laft favour, dated in the prefent month of September. Our Correfpondent's corrections of the French note which we literally printed, in common with the whole extract, from Mr. D.'s book, are obviously right; and it is equally certain that we might have faved him that trouble: but, although we wish to render the M. R. what a late Correfpondent ftyles it, the most correct of our periodical publications," yet we are frequently obliged to commit fome of the fheets to the prefs, in too much hurry to admit of their iffuing from it abfolutely faultlefs. In what our Correfpondent fays of the fpelling of Baron Holberg's name, we apprehend that J. B. is himself mistaken. If we may truit to the tranflation of the Baron's Introduction to Univerfal Hiftory, given by our late learned affociate, Dr. Gregory Sharpe, the name of that well known Danish writer is not Hemberg, but is fpelt as above., In regard to the play of Bonduca, J. B. is certainly most accurately right in faying, that according to the Latin idiom and orthography, the proper name Petilius fhould have been exhibited with a fingle (1), and not, as in the printed play, Patillius. The mention of Christmas by the Roman Corporal is alfo, as he obferves, a grofs anachronifm, and, like many other pafiages in Beaumont and Fletcher, as well as Shakespeare, contains a ftrange and improper mixture of ancient and modern, Gothic and claflic, manners. The making Caratach, as Caracacus is called in the play, genera! to Boadicea, or Bonduca, the famous British Heroine, is, we think, an allowable liberty in a Dramatift, reprefenting fo diftant and obfcure a period of our history. The word tumbling, in p. 25, we do not, with J. B. conceive to be a typographical error in the old books, but the real and genuine text of the authors, infinitely preferable to his propofed emendation of rumbling. The whole paffage warrants and recommends the old reading, and if J. B. had ever been at fea, we fhould conceive that he would have felt the propriety of it. It may feem flrange to adduce a paffage of Colley Cibber in illuftration of Beaumont and Fletcher; but we remember a couplet in one of his Prologues fo directly appofite, that we cannot forbear quoting it: The hardy wretch, that gives the town a play, Sails in a corkboat on a tumbling fea. The rough tumbling form'in Bonduca, plainly alludes to the tumultuous Auctuation of the waves in a tempeft, to which the poets make the Roman compare the irregular and tremendous march of the ancient Britons. +++ The Author of P, a poem, may have his Letter and pamphlet again, by fending a line, in the fame hand-writing, to Mr. Becket, publifher of the Review.-N. B. The feal is yet unbroken. The Gentleman will underland the meaning of this. For the reft, his ignorance mult plead his excufe. * Vide our latt month's Review, p. 108, the note;-where Voila is printed for Voilà, vaus for vous, and qui payer don ecot, for quoi payer mon écot. THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For OCTOBER, 1778. ART. I. A Collection of the Pieces formerly published by Henry Brooke, Efq. To which are added, feveral Plays and Poems, now first printed. 8vo. 4 Vols. 11. 1s. fewed. White. 1778. Author perhaps ever gave the Reviewers more opportunities to praise and blame than Mr. Brooke *. He is certainly poffeffed of great talents; but, by living the greatest part of his life remote from the fountain-head of English literature, he has acquired fome peculiarities that run through the great variety of his performances. Tafte, and the noble fimplicity of writing, cannot be obtained by reading our beft authors only. The mixing and converfing with good critics, writers, and, let us add, men of the world, gives that fine polish, and verborum curiofa felicitas without which genius may certainly break forth, but not like Pallas from the head of Jupiter, "completely arm'd from top to toe."It was obferved by the critics of the time, that the two excellent imitations of Juvenal, written by Dr. Johnfon, the first called London, and the laft printed, the Vanity of Human Wishes, had very diftinct merit. While he wrote the firft, he lived more in the world, which it was thought gave a 'greater eafe and flow to his verfification: his laft performance, which, they fay, was written more in retirement, had all the ftrength and vigour of poetry, but wanted that eafe which was seen in London; and which our excellent POPE had acquired, to the highest degree, by keeping the best company, of all kinds, in the trueft fenfe of the words. In reviewing Mr. Brooke's Works, his poetical ablities only, will, at this time, fall under our confideration. His philofophical poem, "Univerfal Beauty," has many fine lines, but great peculiarity; and what the painters call manner, runs through the whole. Perfpicuity, without which genius wants Vid. our several accounts of his "Fool of Quality," and other writings. VOL. LIX. R its its beft fupport, is fometimes loft in the flight of the Mufe ;and fometimes in the midst of the fwell of poetry, if we may be allowed the expreffion, comes in a word, or half line, that finks the whole into ridicule. For inftance, fpeaking of meteors: (Book ii. page 33.) When lo! the afflicting æther checks their pride, When from on high the rapid tempeft's hurl'd, What then? no less than deftruction to be fure Enlivening as a fueeze to man's inferior world. And high above his work the Maker flies: Is not this a contradiction, not to fay unintelligible? Beyond what Clarkes can prove, or Newtons can explore! Of minstrelfie, to heavenly rapture wound, Softening within the Eternal Finger dwells, However ftrange the above may appear, for want of fimplicity and perfpicuity, yet the four lines which follow, and end the book, are poffeffed of different merit: Yet relative each social note extends, Throughout is blended, while throughout it blends BEAUTY OF LOVE, and SYMMETRY DIVINE! The three books of Taffo's Jerufalem, which come next, have great merit indeed. We may have tranflations of this poet which are more literal, but we have none that are so poetical: Of arms, devote to Heaven's ETERNAL KING; Should not foul be plural, confidered grammatically? O muse! |