reason to believe that it may have been injured by a rigid adherence to fyftematic divinity?

Art. 41. An Antidote to Popery; or the Proteftant's Memory jogg'd in Seafon : By the following Narratives and Facts. 1. The Perfecutions of the Proteftants in the Reigns of Henry IV. V. VIII. and that of Queen Mary. II. The Irish Martyrology. III. Popish treafons and confpiracies in England. IV. Perfecutions in France. V. Extracts of Letters from Lifbon, by an eminent Minifter of the Church of England. VI. A fhort Account of the moft material Errors now taught in the Church of Rome. By a Clergyman of the Church of England. Izmo. 3 d. or 2s. 6d. a Dozen. Matthews. 1778.

This little performance is introduced by a fhort advertisement in which the Author expreffes an earnest but just concern that we may be preferved from the infection of Popish feductions, and the horrors of Popish perfecution; at the fame time he cautions the good people of England again ft the prefent Jefuitical apology, introduced, he fays, in the News papers, that the Papifts are now too refined in morals and manners to commence perfecutors. As friends to liberty, religious and civil, we fincerely with thefe bleffings to every man, and hope we abhor every thing that bears hard on the rights of confcience. Yet as we have been taught by clear and undoubted teftimony and conviction how inimical the principles of Popery are to the comfort and welfare of a Proteftant community, and the just and reasonable claims of mankind, it cannot admit of a question whether or not we ought to guard against its encroachments. Since this is the cafe, and fince great ignorance, as well as negligence, may, or we may fay, does prevail even in our enlightened land, on this and other important points, we efteem it very friendly in this Clergyman of the Church of England, who at fo cheap a rate endeavours to give us a jog.

Art. 42. A Letter of folemn Counsel from a Minister of the Gospel, to a Perfon in a declining State of Health. 8vo. 6d. Robinion.

1778.

The Author of this pamphlet is the Rev. Mr. de Courcy. It is a warm and affectionate addrefs, on the Methodistical plan, to those who are fick, but intended alfo for the admonition and affistance of perfons in health.

Art. 43. Collatio Codicis Cottoniani Genefeos cum Editione Romanâ,

a viro Clariffimo Joanne Ernefto Grabe, jam olim factâ; nunc demum fummâ cura edita ab HENRICO OWEN. M. D. S. R. S. &c.—A Collation of the Cotton MS. of Genefis, with the Roman edition, formerly made by the celebrated John Ernest Grabe, and now carefully published by Henry Owen. M. D. F. R. S. Rector of St. Olave, Hart freet. 8vo. 3s. Rivington. 1778.

This ancient and beautiful MS. is faid to have been brought into England in the reign of Henry VIII. by two Greek bishops. Queen Elizabeth made a prefent of it to Sir John Fortefcue, from whom it defcended to the Cotton library. Walton fays that there were five volumes of this MS. containing the whole Pentateuch, but that the four last came into the hands of a Frenchman, who never returned

them

them to the owner. Dr. Owen confiders it as the most ancient MS. in England, if not in all Europe. Befides its large and exact letters, it is adorned with beautiful figures, defcribing fome parts of the hiftory. Four prints of this kind are given in the prefent pamphlet. But this valuable MS. was nearly destroyed, it is faid, by the fire which fo greatly damaged the Cotton library in 1731. Sometime before this fatal event the illuftrious Grabe had promised to publish this very ancient MS. of Genefis, or at least a Collation of it with the Roman edition, but he died before he could fulfil his promife. This therefore Dr. Owen has undertaken, and now offers to the learned world. A Collation of the fame kind is to be found in the fixth volume of Bibl. Polyglott. Londinenfium, but very imperfect. Our Author has performed his talk from those remains of Grabe's writings upon it, which have been preserved in the Bodleian library, what additions there are of his own, are properly diftinguished, and thofe of the notes which belong to Grabe are pointed out by the letter G. The work is curious, and appears to merit the attention of the learned. Art. 44. A Letter to the Rev. Mr. Jebb, with relation to his

declared Sentiments about the Unlawfulness of all religious Addreffes to Chrift Jefus. 8vo. 1 s. 6 d. Galabin and Baker. 1778. Mr. (now Dr.) Jebb, in the short State of the Caufes of his Refignation,' exprefsly condemned all religious addreffes to Jefus Chrift, and referred to Mr. Lindsey's Apology, for the proof of their unlawfulness. The Author, therefore, of the present Tract thought it incumbent upon him to examine the grounds upon which Mr. Jebb refted his affertion; he has accordingly gone through the paffages of the New Testament, which Mr. Lindsey had confidered with regard to the fubject; and hath endeavoured to fhew from them that the religious addreffes ought to be made to Jefus Chrift. The critical knowledge and learning of this Author are vifible in every page of the performance before us; and his calmness and candour are equally apparent. How far he is right in fome of his remarks, may we think justly be difputed; but many of them undoubtedly call for the serious attention of Mr. Lindsey, and Dr. Jebb. In faying this, we do not mean to determine in the prefent Writer's favour; but to express our wishes that the question were still more deeply investigated. An accurate and extensive examination of the subject in which the worship to be paid to the One God and Father of all, fhould be traced through the Old and New Testament, and the subordinate homage due to Jefus, should be fixed with precision, is the grand defideratum in Chriftian theology.

Art. 45. Sermons on feveral important Subjects. By James Bryfon, A. M. Belfait, printed. 1778.

Thefe Sermons, which were published by fubfcription, are thirteen in number; the fubjects are: A fenfe of God, and regard to integrity, the great supports of virtue and fources of comfort; from Gen. xvii. I. The immortality of the foul; from 2 Cor. v. 10. and 2 Tim. i. 10. The principles out of which the happiness of the future life fhall arife, and the influence the hope of it should have on the conduct of life; from John iii. 2, 3. The vanity of human life, to an unoffending mind; from Eccles. i. 14. Conícious guilt,

what

what renders death an object of fear; from 1 Cor. xv. 56. Religious meditation; from Pfalm cxix. 15.

Concerning these fermons the Author obferves, that, in laying these subjects first before his own audience, and now before the Public, he was directed by this single rule; that the light of the underftanding fhould warm the heart and direct the life. Abstract-reasoning, he fays, may fupport the belief, but cannot inforce the practice of religious virtue. On the other hand, religious virtue can never be permanent, confiftent, and strong, without the powerful aid of folid principle. How far he has avoided the extravagance of philofophifing, and the feebleness of sentimental addrefs, he leaves to the decifion of the impartial Public.-No man, it is added, (he is fully perfuaded) ever appeared before the Public with greater diffidence, or wished to treat it with greater candor,'

Such is the account which this writer gives of himself.-It may be fome alleviation of his honeft fear, to be informed, that his difcourses must be acknowledged to be rational, fenfible, and ingenious; they plead ftrongly, and convincingly, in favour of religious virtue; and are calculated to serve its interefts; they are perhaps rather too much laboured, and have confequently fome degree of ftiffness in the compofition; but they have real merit, and appear, as Mr. Bryfon fays, to be the offspring of a heart to which the intereft of pure religion, and the happiness of mankind, are not indifferent.'

SERMONS.

I. Preached at St. Mary's, Oxford, July 6, 1778: on Occafion of the Anniversary Meeting of the Governors of the Radcliffe Infirmary. By John, Lord Bishop of Oxford. 4to. I S. Oxford. Clarendon Prefs. Rivington, &c.

In this judicious and elegant difcourfe, which is printed for the benefit of the charity, legal inftitutions for the relief of the poor, however expedient and neceffary on the whole, are fhown to be un. friendly to the exertion of the benevolent principle; the excellence of the Chriftian inftitution, in encouraging an unrestrained spirit of liberality, is illuftrated; and useful precepts are given, refpecting the selection of proper objects of charity.

H. Preached at St. Sepulchre's, London, March 15th; and at the Parish Church of Chefhunt, Herts, October 27th, 1778, for the Benefit of the Humane Society, inftituted for the Recovery of Perfons apparently dead by drowning. By Colin Milne, L L. D. Rector of North-Chapel, Suffex. 8vo. I s. Rivington, &c. 1778.

The Preacher's text is, For no Man liveth to himself. After fome time spent in cenfuring those, who, according to his account, vilify and degrade Human Nature, he proceeds to recommend the prefent charitable inftitution; and with proper warmth and fervor urges a contribution to it's fupport, fuitable to the benevolence of the defign.

III. Minifters, Labourers together with God.-Preached at Exeter, before the Affembly of the united diffenting Clergy of Devon and Cornwall; September 9th, 1778. By the Rev. Sir Harry Tre

lawney

lawney, Bart. A B. Minifter of the Prefbyterian Church at Weft Looe, Cornwall. 4to. 6d. Buckland. 1778.

When Sir Harry Trelawney firft quitted the Church of England, his principles and connections being of the Methodistical kind, he naturally affociated himself with thofe Diffenters who, in their zeal for Calvinifm, and the warmth of their enthusiasm, approach the nearest to the Methodists. Even then, however, he discovered, on many occafions, great candour of difpofition; and, in his confeflion at his ordination, he fhewed that the grounds of his nonconformity, were the fame with those which were built upon by the most rational of the Diffenting clergy. In other refpects that fervice was not well digefted; and he was rather unfortunate in meeting with fuch perfons to conduct his ordination, as could not be faid to be the firft of their profeffion, either in abilities or a liberal turn of thinking. In the difcourfe before us, Sir Harry Trelawney hath proved, that he is poffeffed of a mind which is capable of rifing above every narrow prejudice. The fentiments he hath advanced are, throughout, rational, candid, and enlarged. The authors he refers to, with approbation, are, Erafmus, Grotius, Le Clerc, Dr. Jortin, Dr. Ogden, Dr. Price, and Dr. Watfon of Cambridge. His zeal is accompanied with knowledge; and he is for having the cause of Chriftian truth defended with the spirit of meeknefs, and the manners of a gentleman. The bigots, it feems, have faid, that the rational Diffenters have put an extinguisher over Sir Harry Trelawney; but to this it hath been answered, that they have only made ufe of the Snuffers.

IV. The beneficial Effects of Harmony. Preached at the Meeting of

the Three Choirs in the Cathedral Church of Gloucester, September 9, 1778. By S. Glaffe, D. D. F. R. S. and Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majefty. 4to. 1 s. Rivington.

If the prophane mufic of an Orpheus could move the rocks, we cannot doubt, but the mufic of the Choirs, in Gloucester Cathedral, fupported by the eloquence of Dr. Glaffe, would be fufficiently powerful to draw gold from the pockets of the auditors, and convey it to the plate of charity.

V. A Revifal of the English Translation of the Old Testament, recommended:-before the University of Oxford, at St. Mary's, November 15, 1778. To which is added, fome Account of an ancient Syriac Tranflation of great Part of Origen's Hexaplar Edition of the LXX, lately difcovered in the Ambrofian Library at Milan. By the Rev. Jofeph White, M. A. Fellow of Wadham College; Laudian Profeffor of Arabic, and one of his Majefty's Preachers at Whitehall. 4to. Is. Rivington, &c.

In this rational, fenfible difcourfe, the learned and ingenious Author beftows high encomiums on the tranflators of the prefent English verfion of the Old Testament: but he gives them no more than their just praise; for we are certainly under great obligations to them. He obferves alfo, as what cannot be impreffed too often, that our common translation is extremely well calculated to anfwer every purs pofe of general piety, both for the learned and unlearned Chriftian. What is wanting, he fays, is wanting, not for the neceffity of edifi

cation,

cation, but for the improvement of Sacred Literature.' The many discoveries of MSS. and verfions, fince the days of James the First, afford great advantages for corrections or amendments of our prefent verfion. Mr. White therefore wishes for a new tranflation, and earneftly recommends the ftudy of the Hebrew to divines; that • the great intellectual treasure which is attained in the present day, may, he fays, be carried to the temple of God, and prefented as an oblation for its ornament and its ufe.' To the fermon is added, a Latin letter from Profeffor Bjornftahl to Mr. White, giving an account of the Milan manufcript: of which it is unneceffary for us to fay any thing farther, as we have already fufficiently announced it in our Review for December 1778, Article vii. of the Foreign LiteIt appears fomewhat ftrange, that Dr. Kennicott fhould have heard nothing of it, in his enquiries of this kind, in almoft every part of the globe.

rature.

*

VI. The Remembrance of former Days.-Preached at Broad Mead, Bristol, November 5, 1778. By Caleb Evans, M. A. Published at the Request of thofe who heard it. 8vo. 6d. Buckland, &c. A good, honeft, zealous, diffenting declamation, against DeSPOTISM, and against POPERY, the friend of defpotifm. Mr. Evans does not abfolutely proteft against the indulgence lately extended to the Roman Catholics of this country; but he ftrongly recommends it to us ftill to keep a watchful eye upon them; and, among other teftimonies, he quotes fome ftriking paffages, from the celebrated Ganganelli's Letters, to evince that the old intolerant fpirit of the Church of Rome is not yet rooted out of her.

VII. The Converfion of Sinners the greatest Charity. Being the Subftance of a Sermon, at St. Peter's, Cornhill, November 19th, before a Society for promoting religious Knowledge among the Poor. By H. Venn, A. M. Rector of Yelling, and Chaplain to the Earl of Buchan. 8vo. 6d. Crowder, &c. 1778.

CORRESPONDENCE.

F. R. S. will please to take notice, that what we intended to fay, in regard to the Sermon which he recommends to our particular confideration, was fent to the prefs before we received his favour.Any communication from this correfpondent, on the important fubject of SCRIPTURE CRITICISM, will, at all times, be refpe&tfully attended to.

*. If Oxonienfis will favour us with his addrefs, an answer shall be fent to his obliging letter of January 2d.He will fee an account of fome of the books which he mentions, in this month's Review.

"

+++ The letter figned A lover of the CLASSICS,' is under confideration. Any occafional obfervations from the writer, muft ever prove acceptable to perfons engaged in critical researches. We fhall, particularly, be glad to hear from him on the subject of Tibullus.

The letter from U. X. and that from Mr. D-z, will be duly noticed in our next.