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32. Remarks on the different Opinions relative to the American Colonies. 8.vc. IS. Kearfly.

The author of thefe Remarks acknowledges himself to be a juvenile writer; and indeed this appears fo obvious from the manner in which he writes, that there is no ground to suspect the truth of his affertion. A folid acquaintance with politics is very rarely, if ever, an endowment of youth; and we would therefore advife this remarker, if he cannot give over fcribe ling, to employ his lucubrations on subjects more fuitable to his years and experience.

33. Confiderations on the American War. 8vo. 15. Becket. We hardly meet with any obfervation in this pamphlet which has not been repeatedly fuggefted, with greater advantage, by other writers; or, where the author purfues a lefs beaten, though obvious track of thought, his fentiments are so much disfigured with grammatical errors, that it is with great difficulty he fupports our attention.

34. A Letter from an Officer retired, to his Son in Parliament, 8vo. 1s. Cadell.

This Letter is written in the character of an honest, fenfible veteran, who is filled with juft indignation of the American revolt, and is folicitous for the honour of his country in the pro fecution of the war, which he wishes may be conducted with proper vigour.

35. De Tumultibus Americanis deque eorum Concitatoribus Meditatio Senilis. 8vo. 9d. White.

The reader is informed, by an advertisement prefixed to this Meditation, that it was intended as an answer to fome invidious remarks made in a certain auguft affembly, relative to the con duct of the univerfity of Oxford in prefenting to his majesty an addrefs on the American Rebellion. The reafon of its being written in Latin is, that by a rule in the univerfity all public difcourfes are delivered in that language; and the author addreffes himfelt only to perfons of learning and liberal education. In the character of an old man converfant with the motives of human action, he expofes, in a lively and fatirical ftrain, the felf-interested principles of thofe men who have abetted the revolt of the colonists; confirming his remarks by examples taken from ancient hiftorians, of pretended patriots of former times : and fubjoining many pertinent obfervations on the procedure of the Americans themselves. The whole Meditation is written in claffical Latin, and abounds with just reflections on factious oppofition to government, interfperfed with the marks of a man of learning, and the agreeable garrulity of a fenfible old obfervator.

36. Thoughts on the feveral Regulations necessary to the Appointment of an Advocate General, for the Purpose of relieving the Clients of Lawyers from unreasonable Expence, and intolerable Oppreffion. 410. 25. Bew.

This production is the fequel of two others published by the fame author; the first of which was entitled, "The Neceffity

of

of limiting the Power of the Practitioners in the several Courts of Justice and making effectual the Law for taxing the Bills of Attorneys and Sollicitors;" the other, Addrefs to the Public, fetting forth, amongst other Things, a Cafe of unlaw. ful Imprisonment, &c." The prefent Effay is divided into two parts; the first relating to the remedy of thofe mischiefs which arife from the neglect, mifmanagement, and evil defigns of the practitioners; and the fecond, to the taxation of their bills. 37. Remarks upon the Refolutions of the Houfe of Commons with reSpect to the Poor, Vagrants, and Houfes of Correction. 8vo. 6d. Nicoll.

The proper regulation of the poor, confidered in a national light, is certainly an object of great importance; and every hint which may conduce to that end ought to be received with candour and attention. The author fubmits his remarks with great deference to the wifdom of the legislature, which, we doubt not, will take them into serious confideration.

POETRY.

38. Variety. A Tale, for Married People. 4to. 1s. Dodley. This tale, which is related in middling verfe, prefents us with the history of two young lovers, who by leading a rural life totally fecluded from fociety, contracted a mutual disgust, which deftroyed their conjugal happinefs. In this difpofition they determined on removing to London, where they entered into every fcene of polite diffipation, and had no correfpondence with each other for a confiderable time; till at length being tired of the follies of the town, and their conftitutions impaired in the purfuit of pleafure, they repented of the different exceffes to which they had given way, and refolved to live afterwards in a mo derate intercourfe with the world, as the only means of fecuring domestic comfort.

39. The Heroic Epifle anfwered: by the RH-Lord C

4to. Is.

Wilkie.

Another jeu d'efprit, apparently written by the author of the Heroic Epiftle to Lord Craven.

40. Speculation, a Poem. 4to. Is. 6d. Conant.

The fubject of this poem is almost as indefinite as the title is general; and we can hardly give any further account of it than that the author's mufe takes a devious flight into the regions of fatire, on very feeble pinions.

41. The Devoted Legions: a Poem. Addreffed to Lord George "Germaine, and the Commanders of the Forces against America. 4to. 6d. Kearsly.

This poem, which is not inelegant, is founded on the transaction of Atteius, the Roman tribane, who after oppofing, without effect, the war against the Parthians, under the conduct of Craffus, placed himfelf, arrayed in folemn veftments, at the gate of the city through which that general was to lead his

troops

1

troops to the expedition; and, as they paffed, formally devoted both him and his legions to deftruction. The allufion is obvious, from the dedication of the poem to lord George Germaine, and the commanders of the forces against America; and from the following motto.

Littora littoribus contraria, fluctibus undas.

Imprecor, arma armis: pugnent ipfique nepotes.

As we have not faith fufficient to afcribe any efficacy to the ceremonial of Atteius, we are under no apprehenfion for the iffue of this author's poetical execration; and we hope that the expedition to America will terminate as much more happily than the Parthian of Craffus, as the motive and object of it are more honourable and just.

42. The Whig. A Poem. 4to. Is. 6d. Dixwell.

This poetical Whig appears to be a ftrenuous partizan of the Americans; whofe pretenfions, it must be acknowledged, are more fit to be enforced by the declamations of fancy, than by arguments.

43. Ode for the New Year. 4to. 15. Almon.

The production likewife of an American advocate, whom we would recommend as well qualified, at leaft by his zeal and attachment, for the place of poet laureat to the continental congrefs,

DIVINITY.

44. Reflections on the Life and Character of Christ, by Edmund Lord Bishop of Carlisle; with a Summary Appendix on the Gofpel Morals. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Cadell.

As a new edition of this tract was recommended by fome judicious perfons, who have been long engaged in the education of youth, and are defirous of promoting fome knowledge of religion, along with their other sciences, it is accordingly published by itself, in a way beft adapted both to the tutor's convenience, and that of his pupils; and in order to reduce it into the fmalleft compafs, fuch notes are omitted as appeared to be of a more fpeculative and abftrufe nature, or lefs immediately connected with the fubject.

Thefe Reflections, we believe, were originally annexed to the author's Confiderations on the Theory of Religion. The Summary and Appendix are new publications.

We cannot too warmly recommend this excellent treatise to the perufal of every ftudent in divinity; or rather, to every one, who wishes to understand the evangelical history; as it places our Saviour's character and method of teaching, in a very clear, ftriking, and advantageous light.

45. A Plea for the Divinity of our Lord Jefus Chrift. In a Paf toral Letter add effed to a Congregation of Proteftant Dissenters at Cambridge. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Crowder.

There are feveral arguments in this tract, which the author has ftated and maintained in an able manner, particularly the

following;

following: If Jefus Chrift be not God, the writers of the New Teftament have discovered great injudiciousness in the choice of their expreffions, and adopted a very incautious and dangerous ftyle, when they afcribe to him thofe very names, attributes, and works, which the writers of the Old Teftament afcribed to the Supreme Being; that if Jefus Chrift be not God, we hall be obliged to allow, that Mohammed has written more clearly of his nature, than the apostles; and that the Turks have jufter notions of his real character than the Christians, who ftudy the gofpel; that if he be a mere man, numberless pasfages of Scripture have no fenfe, or a very abfurd one,'

Speaking of the effects of controverfial rhetoric, he says, Jefus is a metaphorical God, hell is an Eaftern allegory, the devil is a profopopeia, the atonement is a thing called a metonymy, the wicked are annihilated, and the virtuous fleep without dreaming, till the heavens are no more.'

This remark, though of no great importance in itself, is one of thofe lively firictures, which indicate a writer of genius.

46. Serious Thoughts on the Birth of a Child. Small 8vo. gd. Buckland.

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This writer bewails the vile depravity, which reigns, he fays, over all our infant race, and his own among the reft;' he gives us a melancholy detail of the fnares, the temptations, the vices, the dangers here and hereafter, to which his child is exposed; and then informs us, what a parent should do for his child. To thefe reflections he has added, Prayers defigned to affift pious parents in dedicating their little-ones to God."

This work is a production of a ferious well-meaning man, When it first pleafed God to place him in the important relation of a parent, his foul, he tells us, was almost overwhelmed with folemnity and awe.' Almoft every page of this tract is filled with effufions of affection for his beloved offspring, his dear child, his precious infant, his lovely babe ;' but-not a fyllable of the poor mother!

CONTROVERSIAL.

47. The Scheme of Chriftian and Philofophical Neceffity afferted, In Oppofition to Mr. John Wesley's Tract on that Subject, &c. By Auguftus Toplady. 8vo. 3. Vallance and Simmons. There is hardly any point in metaphyfics, which has occafioned more contention, than the question concerning liberty and neceffity. Yet a great part of the difpute has been a mere logomachia.

It has been urged, in favour of neceffity, that the will is neceffarily determined by the laft judgment of the understanding. But this argument amounts only to this, that it is necessary a man fhould will a thing, when it is fuppofed he does will it. Juft as if one fhould affirm, that every thing which is, is therefore neceffary to be, because when it is, it cannot buts be.

Ne

Neceffity is ufually diftinguished into phyfical and moral. By phyfical neceffity, a ftone falls, the fire burns, and the fun gives light. It is fomething which arifes from the abfolute nature of the thing itself; fo that a caufe, which operates by a phyfical neceffity, uniformly produces the fame effect; except in fome cafes, where an extrinfic compulfory force is able to refrain its operation.

By a moral neceffity is meant the influence, which the fitness of things has on the minds of moral agents. The last is no neceffity at all in the fense wherein the oppofers of liberty under. ftood neceffity. For it is evidently confiftent with the most perfect natural liberty. For instance, a man is happy in his fituation, free from every corporeal and intellectual diforder, and abhors the idea of felf-murder. He therefore cannot be guilty of fuicide; not because he wants a natural or physical power, but becaufe, it is contrary to his reason and inclination. Upon the fame principle, the fupreme being cannot poffibly do what what is wrong, or contradict his own effential attributes.

The certainty of divine foreknowledge has been urged against the poffibility of liberty. But this argument is utterly incon clufive. For the certainty of foreknowledge does not cause the certainty of things, but is itself founded on the reality of their exiftence. Whatever now is, certainly is; and it was yesterday and from eternity as certainly true, that the thing would be to day, as it is now certain, that it is. Knowledge does not alter the nature of things; but fimply views them, as they are in themfelves. Now foreknowledge in the Deity is the very fame as knowledge; all things in futurity, being feen by him, as if they were actually prefent. Confequently, the Divine foreknowledge has no influence on future events. The feeming force of the argument arifes entirely from the incomprehenfible nature of God's omniscience.

The author of the work before us has undertaken to defend the doctrine of neceffity, in oppofition to a small pamphlet published by Mr. Wesley. In this performance he treats his opponent with that contemptuous freedom, which the ferious reader will be apt to call petulance. He has indeed advanced fome fpecious arguments; but they are only conclufive in favour of a moral neceffity.

Mr. Toplady feems to be collecting all the fcholaftic rubbish, which was thrown upon facred literature in 1618, at the fynod of Dort.

48 An Effy on Liberty and Neceffity: in Anfwer to Auguftus Toplady's Tract, (on what be calls) "Chriftian and Philofophical Neceffity afferted." 12mo. is. Hawes.

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The author of this tract, though he writes in favour of Mr. Wefley, declares, in his preface, that he is no methodist; that he has no perfonal knowledge of his antagonist, and that he is actuated by no other motive, than a love of truth.

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