Зображення сторінки
PDF
ePub
[graphic]

perfons by human authority, what articles of faith, and explications of particular parts of Scripture, they fhall receive as facred truths; at the fame time binding down minifters, or others, to declare their belief of and fubjection to them. This, we apprehend, is a claim which no man, or any fet of men in the Christian church, can lawfully pretend to, or ever be able to fupport, on the principles of trus proteftantifm. The Bible is the religion of Chriftians, efpecially of proteftants. Whatever declarations they really find there, they are to receive with meeknefs and candour; but the affirmations and inter pretations, even of the wifeft and the belt of men, though they may merit confideration and refpect, cannot confiftently be regarded in themfelves as certain and obligatory rules of faith and manners.

This catechifm is much of the fame nature with other creeds and formulaties that have been established; but it enlarges more than fome do, on thofe topics in refpect to which the Proteftants differ from the Papifts. Hi. Art. 45. O Tempora! O Mores! or, the New-year's Gift for a Prime Minifter. Being the Subftance of two Sermons preached at a few fmall Churches only, and published at the repeated Requeft of the Congregations. By the Rev. William Scott, M. A. late of Eton. Dedicated to Lord North. 8vo. 1s. Wilkie. A violent declamation against the vices of the age, which, according to the Author, is fo deplorably and defperately corrupt, as to leave very little hope of a reformation. An ulcer, he fays, has overrun our body politic, from head to foot, the King and Queen, whom God preferve, excepted.'-Mercy on us! what a pickle are we in, preacher and all! for only two perfons, we fee, have efcaped the infection.

After this fhort but fufficient fpecimen of what this warm-headed Divine is capable of advancing, before even a congregation of honeft, fober, and patriotic citizens, need we wonder that the pulpit was REFUSED him at EIGHT of their moft CAPITAL churches? Art. 46. Socinianifm brought to the Teft: or Jefus Chrift proved to be either the adorable God, or a notorious Impoftor. In a feries of Letters to Doctor Priestley. In which it appears, That if Jefus Chrift is not a divine Perfon, the Mahommedan is, in all refpects, preferable to the Chriftian Religion, and the Koran a better Book than the Bible. By John Macgowan, Author of Death, a Vifion, and Familiar Epifles to the Reverend Doctor Priestley, &c t. 8vo. s. 6d. Keith. 1773.

Can it be confidered as very probable, that a pious Chriftian, truly affected by, and interefted in, the declarations of the Gofpel, and at the fame time acquainted with the doubts and difficulties with which fome parts of it are attended, fhould be rafh enough to venture the truth of this divine revelation, on the certainty of that explication of a difputed article which he has feen fit to embrace? At leaft it may be fuppofed that fuch a perfon will be modeft, humble, and eautious of affording any thing like a caufe of triumph to unbelievers.

Vide the N. B. printed at the foot of the title-page. + See Review, vol. xlv. p. 239.

Од

On whatever fide the truth lies in regard to the fubject particularly confidered in this performance, it is well known that it has long been, and ftill remains, a matter of doubt and debate among Christians, and alfo that many wife, learned, and excellent perfons have apprehended they had reafon to adopt an opinion very different from that which this Writer endeavours to fupport, though they have not generally embraced what he immediately opposes under the name of Socinianifm. However intrepid, therefore, and zealous this gentleman may appear to himself and to others, and however fincere he may really be in the cause of virtue and religion, there is fome reafon to think that his zeal has, in this inftance, rather exceeded his piety, his charity, or his wifdom. But it is not our province to arraign the Author, or decide on the fubject: we shall therefore only obferve farther, that although Mr. Macgowan has advanced no new arguments in fupport of his doctrines, yet his manner of writing difcovers a confiderable degree of acuteness and ingenuity; with a vein of pleafantry which often ferves, very innocently, to render a con troverfy, even on the moft ferious fubjects, in fome measure lively And entertaining. Hi.

Art. 47. The Hertfordshire Melody; or, Pfalm-Singer's Recrea tion. Being a valuable Collection of Pfalms, Hymns, Anthems, &c. on various Occafions. To which is prefixed, a new, concife, and eafy Introduction to the Art of Singing; and a copious Dictionary of the Terms made ufe of in Mufic. By John Ivery, Teacher of Mufic at Northaw in Hertfordshire. 8vo. lengthwife. 2s. 6d. Wheble. 1773.

1. A collection of pious tunes, many of them well known, and which, wicked as the Reviewers are fometimes faid to be, have been familiar to their ears from their youth: we may, therefore, from our own experience, fafely recommend them to the ufe of our accufers, to harmonife their minds, and bring them to a charitable turn of fentiment, fuitable to their zealous pretences to Chriftian principles. N. Art. 48. A Fragment of a Letter to an Orthodox Clergyman. By . a plain unlettered Chriftian. 8vo. 3 d. Norwich, printed, and fold by Robinfon in London. 1773.

The Editor of this letter tells the Reader, that it was written up. wards of 20 years fince, to an elderly orthodox clergyman, by a very young perfon, of no kind of education or advantage, more than an ordinary tradefman.'-The young man, however, appears to have poffeffed good natural parts, and to have offered, in this letter, a fen fible plea for heterodoxy.

The occafion of the letter was the Clergyman's having recom mended Seed's Sermons to the Writer, in order, we fuppofe, to con vert him to the trinitarian faith. Seed's arguments, however, feem to have failed af producing the wished-for effect; and the young man here gives his reafons for ftill remaining as heterodox as before.

SERMON.

SERM O N.

I. The Power of Mufic, and the particular Influence of Church Mufic.Preached in the Cathedral of Worcester, at the anniversary Meeting of the Choirs of Worcester, Hereford, and Gloucester, September 8, 1773. By John Rawlins, A. M. Rector of Leigh, Minifter of Badfey and Wickamford in Worcester, and Chaplain to Lord Archer. 8vo. 6d. Rivington. 1773.

[ocr errors]

A fermon on the fame fubject, and from the fame text, Pfalm lvii. 7, 8. is to be found in Atterbury's Difcourfes; but the powers of mufic on the human frame, and its tendency to elevate our devotion, are difplayed in a much more liberal, extenfive, and agreeable manner by the Rector of Leigh, than by the Bishop of Rochester. Mufic, however, is of that feducing nature, that in treating of its effects we are naturally beguiled into a declamatory ftrain of panegyric; and as found operates mechanically on the paffions, and inftead of exercifing the mind, lulls the understanding into a pleafing flumber, its employment in religious purposes ought to be conducted with a very cautious hand, if we prefer rational piety to rapturous flights of in toxication and enthusiastic extafies.

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the AUTHORS of the MONTHLY REVIEW.
GENTLEMEN,
London, Dec. 18, 1773.

1

• BEING perfuaded that Audi alteram partem, is a rule from which you do not deviate, I hope you will admit in your article of Correfpondence, the following account of an affair, of which fome account has been given by your Correfpondent Amicus".

One of the principals in this unhappy difpute was the late Dr. Samuel Leeds. He had not the advantage of a liberal education, but by a remarkable natural propenfity was determined to the study of phyfic. He endeavoured to make himfelf acquainted with the Materia Medica, and with the languages. He profecuted his ftudies at Edinburgh, where his affiduity was remarked by the Profeffors, who, though they were not unacquainted with his want of learning, granted him a degree. On his return to London, a vacancy happening for the poft of Phyfician in the London Hofpital, by the well-meant but too precipitate zeal of his friends he was propofed as candidate, and elected. After fome time a diffatisfaction arofe among the Governors; it was publicly reported that his degree had been furreptitiously obtained; inftances of barbarous orthography in his recipes were brought as proofs of his ignorance: the books of the Hofpital teftified in his favour that his practice was equally fuccefsful with that of his colleagues, but it was thought neceffary he fhould pass exami nation before the College of Phyficians in London: he perceived there was much prejudice against him, and refigned. Being ins formed that Dr. Fothergill had ufed expreffions to his difadvantage, he lodged a complaint against him, before his own Society [the Quakers.] The Society apprehended that if the complaint fhould appear to be juft, Dr. F. might, nevertheless, not be eafily induced

** In your October Review.'

N.

to make a proper acknowledgment, and confidering that his refufing to do fo, mut fubject him to a folemn cenfure, agreed to difpenfe with their established rule for proceeding in cafes of defamation, and propofed a decifion of the affair by arbitration. The proposal was agreed to by both parties; five arbitrators were chofen; after many hearings and much deliberation, three of them awarded to Dr. Leeds five hundred pounds as damages; the other two pleaded as their reafon for not joining in the award, that the three had refused to examine an evidence which Dr. F. faid he could produce;" the three afferted, and have verified their affertion on affirmation †, that they did make a proposal to renew the arbitration bonds, in order to hear any evidence that could be produced, which propofal the two and Dr. F. did not agree to t. Some of Dr. F.'s friends advised him to pay the five hundred pounds, fome advised him not to pay it; he proceeded to a trial in Westminster-hall; the award was fet afide. It is not defigned to infinuate that regard was fhewn to the rich for his riches, or to the popular for his popularity; but Judges are not infallible any more than other mortals. Leeds, now in circumftances of difgrace, attended with a total lofs of his practice, appealed once more to his own Society; he complained against Dr. F. for refufing to fulfil the award given in confequence of their advice; he was ad mitted to several hearings, but many perfons are of opinion that he was not heard with impartiality; the majority feemed determined to take no ftep which might tend to produce what they thought difre putation to Dr. F. This, perhaps, was the firft inftance wherein there was reafon for fufpicion that an implicit attachment to a fuperior and amiable character, induced the Society to fwerve from the line of ftrict justice. The arbitrators were men of character and understanding, doubtless they acted honeftly and judiciously upon the evidence that came before them, and made the award from a conviction that Dr. F.'s expreffions had actually given rife to the preju dices against Leeds: it is remarkable that the evidence produced before the court of King's Bench infifted on proof of Leeds's ignorance and inability, not on proof that the words charged on Dr. F. were not spoken by him, or that they did not contribute to the injury of Leeds though from proof of thefe circumstances only, the award could have been properly reverfed. As it feems impoffible that Dr. F. could know that his conduct had in no degree affected Leeds's repu→ tation, though it might have hurt his pride, it would have been but confiftent with his allowed generofity, to have made him fome reparation; the opportunity for this is now paft, the poor man is no more; probably fallen a victim to the vexation caused by this unforsunate affair: an affair of which much has been faid, but little known, and which might have, paffed quietly to oblivion, had not your Correfpondent recalled it into notice. I am yours,

Vid. The appeal in your July Review.'

IMPARTIAL..

It was with great reluctance that one of the three accepted the office of arbitrator, nor did he accept it till after being particularly requested by Dr. F. to do fo."

A Gentleman

A

Gentleman who figns his letter Diffentor, pays us the compliment of impartiality in our reprefentations; but he feems to think that we are fometimes mistaken, and not altogether free from the imputation of negligence. To the first of thefe charges, we are very ready to plead guilty; but to the fecond we muft, at least, take the liberty to demur.

The declaration, indeed, does not fet forth any matter of very grievous complaint. It mentions a publication or two, of the lait year, which have not yet made their appearance in our Review. Thofe publications, however, have not been overlooked :—they will be noticed in their due course, as we proceed in the payment of our

arrears.

Our Correfpondent particularly fays-" You have overlooked Wynne's poem, The Four Seasons, published in June last." We remember the advertisement of this poem; we alto recollect that the book was fent for about the time above-mentioned; and that our collector reported that "the work was not published;" and as we have feen no advertisement of it, fince, we conclude that it is not yet to be procured t.

This. Correfpondent extols Dr. Goldfmith as the "greatest poet of the age," and he infifts that the Author of The Academic Sportsman, commended by us, in the Review for September last, has been a fhameful borrower from the Doctor. We have neither the Traveller, the Deferted Village, nor Mr. Fitzgerald's performance at hand; but according to the extracts fent us by our Correfpondent, there is indeed a striking resemblance between feveral paffages quoted from the Academic Sportfman, and those which are fet in comparison with them, from Dr. G. But, at the fame time, we must be so free with our Core refpondent as to declare to him, that with refpect to the greatest number of the paffages which he has produced, we do not perceive even the fmalleft ground for the outcry of plagiarifm fo violently raised against Mr. Fitzgerald, by Mr. Diffentor.

With what particular view our Correfpondent has honoured us with this communication, we are at a lofs to guefs. He could not, furely, expect us to commit to the prefs, a paper fo indifferently prepared for it; and in one or two refpects, so deficient alfo in point of Urbanity.—If his defign was, merely, to befriend us, by his hints, we are much obliged to him :-as we are to every Gentleman who favours us with remarks, on any subject, or point, that may tend toward the fervice of literature in general, or the improvement of our Review, in particular.

The infertion of Philofophia's Letter, relating to Plato's Divifion of Ideas (fee Rev. for Sept. laft, p. 168) would lead us too far beyond the limits of our plan.

We readily admit that in any matter of opinion, or point of tafte, as well as in religion, a Diffenter may be as much in the right as any member of the most perfect establishment under the fun.

+ Since the above was fent to the prefs, this pamphlet has been procured.

« НазадПродовжити »