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Art. 49. The Sylph. A Novel. 12mo. 2 Volumes. 55.

Lowndes.

This novel has the uncommon merit of some originality in its plan; the ftory is agreeably related; and many good moral reffections are fuggefted in the courfe of the narrative.

Art. 50. Memoirs of Lady Eliza Audley. By Mrs. Cartwright,
Author of Letters on Female Education. 12mo 2 Vols.
Richardfon and Urquhart. 1779.-

55.

fewed.

Mrs. Cartwright cannot, with propriety, style herself the Author of thefe Memoirs, fince they are a tranflation from the French. The original was published about the year 1760. We faw the book when it firft came out, but do not remember the title. We do, however, recollect a translation of it, which was done by the late Dr. Goldfmith; although he did not put his name to it. The title of the Doctor's tranflation was « Memoirs of Lady Harriet Butler*." Perhaps Mrs. C. was ignorant of this former tranflation, when the far down to the fame talk;-but, however that may have been, he has cert tainly made too free with the Public, by giving it as her own work.

BOTANY.

Art. 51. A Catalogue of the Plants in the Garden of John Blackburne, Efq; at Orford, Lancashire. Alphabetically arranged, according to the Linnæan Syftem. By Adam Neale, Gardener. 8vo. Warrington. 1779.

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Although the prefent catalogue throws no new light on the fciente of botany, it merits, however, the notice of all who ftudy this agreeable fcience. By the means of fuch compilements, the gardens of thofe who delight in the cultivation of rare and curious plants, are rendered more generally ufeful as thefe publications ferve to point out the places where a fcarce or valuable plant may be found, or where feeds, roots, young plants, &c. may be obtained.

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The difpofition of Mr. Neale's catalogue is alphabetical, and the names are taken from the Linnæan fyftem, being, as the prefatory advertisement fets forth, carefully referred to Murray's edition of Linnæus.'

The garden of Mr. Blackburne, at Orford, is fo much celebrated by all true lovers of botany, Both in England and abroad, that the prefent catalogue must be very acceptable to thofe who wish to furvey this noble, we might fay, this princely collection. It merits, farther, the attention of the botaniff, on account of the long flanding of feveral of the plants; the collection being one of the oldeft in this kingdom--above all, the great number of curious fucculent and bulbous plants, will attract the eye of the connoiffeur.

We can only add our wish, that all the botanical gardeners in Great Britain would follow the example of the venerable owner of the Orford Collection, by publishing fimilar catalogues of the trea. fures which they have in poffeffion; among which, we fhould he glad to fee laid open to public view, thofe of Kew-gardens, of Dr. Pitcairn's gardens, of Dr. Fothergill's, and others, distinguished by the number and rarity of the productions which they contain.

Vid. Review, vol. xxv. p. 472.

RELIGIOUS

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL.

Art. 52. Letters to a Lady inclined to enter into the Communion of the Church of Rome. By William Law, M. A*. Now first printed. 8vo. Ds. 6d. Phillips, &c. 1779.

Although the author of this pamphlet has been dead many years, he is ftill remembered with honour. The excellent spirit discovered in his conduct and his writings, though fome things in the latter are very objectionable, must be always efteemed. He was a Non-juror, and a myftic, and an avowed enemy of that Devil, Human Reafon +. His opinion feems to have been, that no Chriflian Church was entirely free from an Autichriftian spirit; and on this confideration, chiefly, he feems to reft his argument in advising the lady with whom he correfponds, to continue in the communion of the Church of England. Proteftants will be furprised, and jultly fo, when he expresses a doubt, whether the Church of Rome, on England, has the most helps to a folid and fubftantial piety. However, on the particular point of leaving the latter for the former, he speaks in these terms: I ftay in the church of Eng. land, because providence has placed me in its communion, and be cause it has the terms of falvation; I wish every thing that is fchif matical in it was removed, by those who have a power of removing it; I do not go over to the Church of Rome, because that would be fhewing my approbation of those reasons on which the governors of that church proceed in their divifion from others, and would make me guilty of all the wrong fteps they have taken. This is not the cafe of thofe who are educated in that Church; they may be free from all the fchifmatical or unjust proceedings of their governors; as the private members of any other church may; but it seems to be the cafe of those that renounce the Church of England for that of Rome: fuch an act, I think, must make them a party to all that the Church of Rome has done in relation to the fchifm. Thefe feem to be the only principles of piety and religion, for ferious Chriftians to found their peace on, in this divided state of the Church, where the divi fion is wholly owing to the unreafonable claims and uncharitable proceedings of the governors on both fides, and where both retain all that is of the effence of religion We can neither flay in one

communion, nor go into another, but we are in the fame ftate, as to the unity of the church; every part is in a state of divifion, and chargeable with contributing to the caufe of it. The thing that we are to look for, therefore, is not to be out of a divided part of the church, which is impoffible, till it pleafes God to alter the ftate of Christendom, but that we may live free from fchifmatical principles and paffions, and wholly attentive to every thing that the most ardent love of God, the most perfect love of our neighbour, and the highest imitation of the spirit, life, and fufferings of our bleffed Saviour re quire of us.?

Without taking farther notice of what is faid relative to the particular fubje& mentioned in the title, we shall only add a fhort ex

* Author of A ferious Call to a devout and holy Life, a number of Controverfial Tracts, and an edition of the works of Jacob Behmen; for which fee Review Vol. xxxi. p. 442.

+ We think we remember fuch an expreffion in fome of honeft William's zealous writings.

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tract or two from what this writer adds on the fubject of enquiry and fpeculation; If we look into history (he fays) we can hardly find any churchman remarkable for an uncommon extent of learning, without having troubled the world with fome inventions of his own, some fancied improvements on the common chriftianity. The great Origen was one of the first inftances of this kind; he was celebrated as the oracle of learning, as a poffeffor of all the fciences; along with this, he was of a very pious and mortified life, and full of contempt of the world: but, for my own part, I fhould have left his converfation, his deep difcoveries, and allegorical explanations of Scripture, to have spent my time and learned religion with a poor mechanic that I have fomewhere read of, whofe heart and life was governed by this fpirit;"I defire nothing but to love, adore, praise and obey God, in every thing, and for every thing." Was the world to fee this remark on learning, they would in all probability impute it to my want of learning; and though they would be very right in judging my pretenfions to learning not to be great, yet it would be unjust to think me an entire ftranger to the nature of it. But I profefs to you, that whatever parts or learning I am poffeffed of, I think it as neceffary to live under a continual apprehenfion of their being a fnare and temptation to me, as of any worldly diftinctions, whether of riches or dignity, I fhould be poffeffed of: and I defire no other imė provement of science or knowledge, nor to fee into any depths, bút fuch as penitence, humility, faith, hope, charity, the pure love of God, and an abfolute refignation to his providence, fhall difcover

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I am not against our ufing all the arguments that reafon and learning can furnish us with, in defence of religion; but I think we are much mistaken, when we place our chief ftrength there, and conclude that chriftianity muft profper, or infidelity decline, according as all objections and difficulties are more or less cleared up and folved. For as religion never entered into the fallen world that way, by condefcending to explain all the difficulties, or anfwer the objections that ignorance, malice, felf-love, pride, curiofity, wit, or worldly learning, could bring against it; as no revelation from God ever dealt in this manner, with this kind of adverfaries, fo it is against reason to think, that it must now, or at any other time, be supported in that manner. For thefe tempers have no right or claim to be anfwered or fatisfied in their own way; as they are only fo many diforders or corruptions of the foul, fo they are to have no relief from religion, but that of dying before it.

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As to the relief which is fought for in fuch discoveries, humility, faith, and refignation make it needlefs, and give the mind a comfort and rest in God, which cannot be equalled by any fuch speculative light: for my own part, this one faying, "Shall not the judge of all the world do right?" is more to me, is a ftronger fupport to my mind, and a better guard against all anxiety, than the deepeft difcoveries that the most speculative inquifitive minds could help me to.'

Thefe paffages we leave to the confideration of our Readers.-The laft of these letters is dated May 29, 1732. Though they treat on the circumftance of entering into the communion of the Church of Rome, they have refpect to the particular fituation of the lady and

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her family on other accounts. In fome parts they bear strong marks of Mr. Law's peculiar and ftriking manner, and give intimations of his mystical turn in other respects, but not like what is to be found in the rest of his writings. One principle, though not expressly declared, feems implied, and runs through this tract, viz. a fuppofition of fome inherent fanctity attending the office of what he would call the chriftian priesthood, which directly leads us towards the Church of Rome. It is to be presumed there are few, if any proteftant readers who will not think that there are many reafons for avoiding the Roman communion more weighty than any that is here fug gefted...

Art. 53. Advice to Youth; or, the Advantages of early Piety. Defigned for the Ufe of Schools, as well as young Apprentices - and Servants; to promote the Art of reading English, and draw the Attention to Matters of the greatest Importance in early Life. By John Fawcett, Mafter of a Boarding-fchool at Brearley-Hall, near Halifax. 12mo. I s. 6 d. Leeds, printed; London, fold by Johníon, &c. 1778.

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This Author appears earnestly to defire the comfort and happiness of thofe for whom he writes. His address is fervent and affectionate, and many proper and useful exhortations are delivered. His plan is Calvinistical, and he seems rather perplexed with the question, "Why should we call men to know, love, and fear God, when they have no power for it?' But why should fuch a question be introduced at all, especially in an Addrefs to Youth Let it rather be left to metaphyficians and polemical theorists! We are, however, unwilling to cenfure a work fo well intended. While fo many writings appear, as Mr. Fawcett obferves, which tend to loofen, if not wholly to deftroy all regard to truth and virtue in youthful minds, we are glad to fee publications, on every plan, which are calculated to affift and ftrengthen fuch momentous principles. This valuable end may be answered, if youth will attend, by this performance, as well as by others, of fuperior or of inferior merit, among the variety of books of this kind, which are extant in the English language. Art. 54. An Effay on the Toleration of Papifts. 8vo. Is. Dodfley. 1779.

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The defign of this effay is to fhew that, while liberty remains a public bleffing, religious toleration must be confidered as a measure highly conducive to the general intereft; and that religious and civil freedom have nothing to fear from the indulgence which the government has lately hewn its Roman Catholic fubjects.

The Author fays, that he never wishes to fee a repetition of the flavish fuperftitions and encroachments of Rome; but the fituation of the world, he thinks, is not at prefent expofed to them. The prefent face of Europe, we are told, is different from that barbarous and gloomy region, where thofe deep foundations were laid for fuperftition and prieftcraft. Commerce, refinement and philofophy, have difpelled that general darkness which concealed their hatefal defigns; and the ftupendous edifice is crumbling faft away, and totters on the brink of deftruction.

The Author contents himself with a few general reflections; but this effay is written with elegance, and fhews an enlarged, liberal, and manly turn of thought.

SER.

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SERMONS.

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1. The Neceffity and Advantage of religious Principles in the SoldieryPreached before Sir George Savile's Regiment of Yorkshire Militia, and a Company of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, in Camp, Aug. 2, 1778. By Thomas Bateman, A. M. Chaplain to the Duke of Gordon, Vicar of Whaplode, Lincolnshire, &c.

1 S.

Richardfon and Urquhart.

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We meet with nothing in this discourse to entitle it to particular notice, except the Author's zeal against enthusiasts and fanatics, with whom he thus humourously disclaims all alliance: "Let not this be understood as if spoken in behalf of the oftentatious ravings of many modern enthufraits on the one hand, or of as many moping and melancholy fanatics, which fome fools, but more knaves, have often affumed for private and pecuniary, but oftener for worfe purpofes.-Befhrew the preacher, who would recommend the least tincture of either as requifite in the military character-who would fend the whole foldiery together upon a religious knight-errantry-and prefcribe to the fuperior officers to become knights of the woeful gure to the inferior, according to their respective ranks, to be-come proportionably more dismal."

Baldwin.

II. At the Cathedral Church of Hereford, before the venerable the
Dean, &c. Aug. 19, 1778; being the Day on which he held his
Vifitation. By the Rev. Thomas Horne. 4to. 6 d.
Inftruction for the inftructors.
III. Chriftianity an eafy and liberal Syftem; that of Popery, abfurd and
burdensome Preached at Salters Hall, Nov. 5, 1773. By: Hugh
Worthington, jun. 8vo. 6 d. Buckland, &c.

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A feasonable and fenfible difcourfe, in which the errors of Popery are properly reprefented. It feems that the prefent times render it highly expedient to guard people, frequently and feriously, against the delusions of the Church of Rome, while we maintain a charitable and Christian spirit towards its particular members. IV. The Death of Samuel, and the Lamentation made for him, confi dered and improved Occafioned by the Death of Mr. Samuel Wilton, who departed this Life, Jan. 21, 1779, aged 68. By N. Hill. Published at Requeft. 8vo. 6d. Buckland.

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A pious lamentation and improvement of the death of a good man, who had been, as the Preacher expresses it, at once an ornament and pillar" of the church of which he was a member. V. At the Chapel Royal of St. James's Palace, on Ath-Wednesday, 1779. By Robert Lord Bishop of London, Dean of his Majesty's Chapels. 4to. Cadell and Dodfley.

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A fenfible difcourfe from Luke xiii. 1, 2, 3.-His Lordship com fiders fome of the reafons, upon which we may prefume our bleffed Saviour's determination to be founded; viz that we are not warranted to infer from great and fignal calamities any great and uncom mon wickedness in the fufferers.-On the grounds of reafon and experience, however, and from our notions of the wisdom and justice of God, we may be allowed, his Lordship fays, to observe a more equal providence difpenfed in the fates of kingdoms, than in the affairs of individuals. The cafes are widely different; and the fame reafons, motives, and ends, do not hold in both. Kingdoms and nations, as fuch, are beings of the prefent world, and they are ob

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