DIVINITY AND CONTROVERSY. ART. 23. A Letter to the Jews; with occafional Remarks on a late Addrefs to the fame from Dr. Priestley. By a Layman. 8vo. 6d. Walter. London, 1789. The writer of this Letter conceives that the Jews, though converted by Dr. Priestley's Letter, will be as far from Chriftianity as ever, unless they believe the pre-existence of our Saviour. Perhaps it may be as well, in this as in most other sciences, to begin with the moit fimple propofitions, and gradually proceed to the more complicated; that is, after the Jews are become Socinians, introduce to Arianifm, and then, if you can, make them Athanafians. Aware, however, of the poffibility of the Jews rejecting every thing, from this difference of the Chriftians among themselves, the author very properly advises them to read the fcriptures, and form their own opinions. After this, adverting to the prefent calamitous fituation of God's once chofen people, he endeavours to convince them all their prefent miferies arife from their rejecting the gospel. The author certainly means well; but there is neither novelty nor force in his arguments. ART. 24. A Letter from a Lady to her Daughter, on the Manner of paffing Sunday rationally and agreeably. 8vo. 1s. Marshal. London, 1789. This petty performance is profeffedly intended as a fupplement to Thoughts on the Manners of the Great. It is evidently, however, by a different and much inferior writer. In it we look in vain for that fhrewdness of remark, that acuteness of reafoning, that delicacy in the accommodation both of fentiment and language to the feelings of the gay and fashionable, and that intimate acquaintance with the foibles moft prominent in high life, which diftinguish the Thoughts. But the attempt, however weak, is evidently well meant, and merits both attention and encouragement. The duty of fteadily frequenting the public worship of God, and otherwise spending the fabbath in exercifes of piety and benevolence, is here earnestly inculcated. And happy were it for most ladies in this country, and particularly in the metropolis, that their time were not worfe employed than habitually attending the church themselves, and exciting others to follow their example. ART. 25. Strictures on Two Difcourfes by S****1 C****r, D.D. occafioned by the Death of his eldest Daughter. Dedicated to the Right Rev. Father in God, Lewis, Lord Bishop of the Diocefe. 12mo. 1s. Kearfley. London, 1789. The dedication first tells us that the author has no permiffion to inscribe his work to my lord the bishop. The reft of it is taken up, contrary to the ufual mode of dedications, in acquainting his lordfhip there are people as good as himself. This gives our author an opportunity of beginning his ftrictures before he finishes his dedication. E 4 The The preface contains a few knowing aphorifms, involved in fome rather abftrufe deductions: It is not the lot of every author to fhock the prejudices of the learned and unlearned vulgar, even if that author depicts only his own thoughts. But where an author controverts opinions, established upon long and well-founded experience, he must not be surprised if the pen of criticism is aimed at his work. • Confcious rectitude, and the purfuit of truth, where they are the uniform intention of any individual (in the small sphere of my obfervation), fo far from being the occafion of cenfure, however difcordant the opinions of mankind, have generally claimed deferved applaufe, without the puff of dedication, or the bullying manœuvré of a pompous preface. Those who wish to impofe on the world their contempt of envy and malice, always fmart most severely under the pen of the fatyrift.' The defign of the work is to convince the writer of the difcourfes how little his daughter's death and many amiable virtues will concern the public. In illuftrating which, we have an account of a clergy "man, whose name is not mentioned, and who lived we are not told where, that loft a daughter, who is nameless alfo; with an exact defcription of the manner in which the good man bore his lofs. The error of Dr. C was in preaching and publishing one or two difcourfes upon his daughter, wherein the is represented as a mortal abfolutely perfect. The doctor's vanity furely carried him beyond the bounds of judgment in this inftance. But, whatever may be the merit of the Difcourfes, they are not likely to fuffer much by these Strictures. ART. 26. Remarks on the Bishop of Exeter's, and also on Dr. Heberden's Interpretation of the Prophecy of Haggai. 8vo. IS. London, 1789. A tedious argument on the construction of an Old Testament pro, -phecy, which is a fpecies of polemical difcuffion very uninteresting, we prefume, to moit readers. The author, however, treats the learned interpreters with whom he differs refpectfully; and though we think the nature of his subject leads him occafionally to cavil about words, as it involves much verbal criticism, he difcovers confiderable powers of eloquence, and writes on the whole with the liberality of a scholar and the manners of a gentleman. ART. 27. A Letter to the Patrons, Trustees, &c. of the Charity Schools, 8vo. 13. 6d. Turner. London, 1789. The author recommends a more efficacious mode of educating the children of the poor than any other hitherto adopted. His plan is to take the entire charge both of their fupport, their education, and their morals, by converting our feveral charity-schools into fo many academies, in which the children would be always under the eye of the mafter, and by that means prevented from imbibing the profligacies which abound in our streets, and to which they are at prefent expofed. expofed. We have only to lament, in the name of the liberal and humane, that the prodigious expence of the fcheme renders the practicability of it peculiarly problematical. ART. 28. A Defence of the Proteftant Clergy in the South of Ireland, in Anfwer to the Charges against them contained in the Right Hon. Henry Grattan's Speeches relating to Tithes, &c. 8vo. 2s. Robfon and Clarke. London, 1789. The various points controverted in this pamphlet can be of little confequence to readers on this fide the water. And to comprehend them properly, would require an intimate acquaintance with almoft the whole internal policy of the fifter kingdom. For the question here difcuffed has agitated the clergy, the laity, and the legislature, of Ireland above a century. Indeed, tithes have ever been the great bone of contention fince they were adopted as part of our ecclefiaftical conftitution. And it is likely they will always be confidered as a grievance, both by the landlord and the tenant. Our anony mous author derives no aid from the brilliancy either of his diction or his wit in their behalf; but he opposes facts to Mr Grattan's oratory, detects the mifreprefentations of a glowing fancy by difpaffionate investigation, and appeals from the fafcination of eloquence to ftatements which cannot be mistaken. The pamphlet is very incorrectly printed. ART. 29. A Letter to Jofeph Priestley, LL.D. on the Subject of his late Letter to the Right Hon. William Pitt, and to the Dean of Canterbury. To which is added a Difcourfe on the natural Connexion of civil and ecclefiaftical Establishments. By the Rev. John Walters, M.A. Mafter of Ruthin School, and late Fellow of Jefus College, Oxford. 8vo. 25. Rivingtons. London, 1789. This is a letter of earnest expoftulation with Dr. Priestley on mif application of talent, his extreme affectation of fingularity and paradox, the vanity and impotence of all his attempts to overturn the Church of England, and the peculiar temerity which diftinguishes his tenets and his reafoning. And of all the advocates for our religious establishment which have attacked this redoubted champion of Ichifm and Socinus, Mr. Walters is perhaps the moft fpirited, the most fanguine, and the molt claffical and elegant. The arguments, affertions, and affumptions of his antagonist, he has the addrefs to render ridiculous: And however the doctor and his friends may treat a remonstrance which they cannot but feel, our author's wit and sarcasm are of such a species that none of the party will venture to retort. To this Letter is added an affize fermon, in which the natural alliance between church and ftate, or the mutual dependence which fubfifts between law and religion, is flated and illuftrated with precision and elegance. ART. ART. 30. A Letter to Dr. Priefiley. By William Hunter, A. M. Rector of St. Ann, Limehouse, and late Fellow of Brafen-Nofe College, Oxford. 8vo. is. Wilkie. London, 1789. Mr. Hunter, though by no means one of Dr. Priestley's most formidable antagonists, enters very warmly into the conteft, and endeavours fometimes to reafon and fometimes to laugh the doctor out of his prejudices. His language, however, is often vulgar, and not unfrequently perplexed. The beft caufe unfortunately fuffers by unfkilful advocates. Happily our religion, as established by law, hath fome of the ableft writers in its favour that this or any age or country ever produced. There is confequently the lefs need of their affiftance who are not qualified to do it any fervice. ART. 31. A Letter to the Rev. Dr. Priefley. By an Undergraduate. Svo. Is. Rivingtons. London, 1789. This conteft exhibits fomething like that which, in facred ftory, took place between David and Goliah, where a giant in complete armour was doomed to fall by the hand of a naked stripling. The doctor having, with his ufual condefcenfion, offered to conduct the theological studies of the young gentlemen in the univerfity of Oxford, in this letter one of them acknowledges the obligation in the name of the reft, and affigns reafons, fufficiently mortifying to the doctor, for declining his fervice. Our undergraduate confiders the doctor's noflrums rather as objects of derifion, than propofitions meriting a serious confutation. He endeavours to make both himself and his readers merry with many of thofe important difcoveries and philofophy which have fo long menaced the peace and fafety of our establishment. He alleges the doctor, who would teach others, needs himself to be taught ; that his creed is wholly negative; that the religion he profeffes is a religion without a faviour and a fanctifier; that he allows fixed air in the natural world, but deprives the moral of all fixed principles; that a verfe or chapter of an evangelift, or even an apostle, not in unifon with his hypothefis, is to be rejected; and that, as his fyftem admits of no human foul, he has philofophy enough, and may foon find it convenient to rid himfelf and the fpecies of futurity and a refur rection. For the ENGLISH REVIEW. NATIONAL TH For JULY, AFFAIRS 1789. INTRODUCTION. HE event that has diftinguished this month will long diftinguish it among months and years, and form an era in the annals of history. It is needless to mention that it is the REVOLUTION IN FRANCE to which we allude; a revolution, the greatest that was ever effected in fo eafy a manner. Men of reflection, when they at tended tended to what was daily paffing there, the free and bold converfation, and, if poffible, ftill freer writings of the French nation, to the meeting of the notables, the remonftrances of an exiled parliament, and the convention of the states-general, foretold, without much hefitation, that a new order of affairs muft take place among our enlightened and spirited neighbours; yet few, perhaps none, imagined that the French monarchy could die, or, fhall we fay, migrate into another ftate, without more violent pain and convulfion. This euthanafia, or rather this easy metempfychofis, evidently fprung from that general unanimity on the great fubject of difcuffion, which pervaded all ranks and orders in the widely extended, yet compacted kingdom of France. Had that nation been divided in their fentiments, the invincible spirit of liberty would have prevailed, but not without a struggle. The majefty of the people fhone forth with a splendour, at which the inferior principalities and powers in the state, like the ftars before the rifing fun, hid their diminished heads. The reigning monarch perceived the dignity and acknowledged the authority of a GREATER CHIEF. His guards, at his nod, retired from the prefence of a force before which they seemed to be nothing more than a vain mockery. He did homage to the pretenfions, and, in acknowledging himself the fervant, proved himfelf the father and the juft fovereign of his people! Though great allowances are to be made to a difference of circumftances, it is difficult to abftain from making a comparifon of the conduct of Lewis the Sixteenth of France with that of Charles the First and James the Second of England in fimilar fituations. It was neither fo obftinate as that of the former, nor fo precipitate as that of the latter; it was a medium between both. The King of France endeavoured to mediate between the privileged orders, and the great body of the people; but when the fortune of the latter appeared evidently to prevail, he did not prolong an unequal conteft; he did not retreat into Spain. or Naples, to move the other branches of the house of Bourbon against his fubjects; at a crifis when ideas of flight might have not only been fuggefted by the pride of power, but even urged by fear, he embraced the generous refolution of committing himself into the hands, and acting agreeably to the fentiments of his people. Had the English princes acquitted themselves in a fimilar manner, at any period before the fword was drawn, a Stuart might ftill have fat on the throne of England. As the eafy and quick tranfition in France from a government purely monarchical to whatever new form it may affume, is owing to a general unanimity on the great fubject of difcuffion, fo that unanimity was derived from the light of learning. The people, when divided, are like fand that |