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ift is a kind of a Drawcanfir. He treats of politics, Yorkfhire petitions, Middlesex elections; and in one of his fables he even abuses the Reviewers. His verfification is uncommon affected; and the merit of his performance may be feen by the following fpecimen, with which our readers must depart wonderfully pleased and improved.

Let him alone; he's a Reviewer,

By fuch vile trash he gets his bread;
And for that reason, soyez feur,

He well deferves a broken head.
A flea out of a blanket fhaken,
A bloody-minded finner,
Upon a taylor's neck was taken,
Marauding for a dinner.

The flea attempted a defence,
The damage was fo fmall,

That the offence

Was next to none, or none at all:
And furthermore, to fave his life,
Pleaded his children, and poor wife.
That's not the cafe, the judge reply'd,
The harm is small, 'tis not deny'd ;
You did your worst, and had your fill;
Die then, faid he,

Unrighteous flea,

Not for the deed, but for the will.'

7

Before we difmifs this poet, we must obferve, that he is not only fabulous, but oracular; and it would puzzle the best head in England to find out the fimalleft meaning in many of his poems.

39. The Auction, a Poem: a familiar Epistle to a Friend, &c. 410. 21. Kearfly.

While we allow that this writer's manner is easy, and his verfification fmooth, we can by no means find out the cui bone of his poem, or what purpose it is intended to ferve. The god of filence furely is a very ftrange kind of guest in an auction-room, and a very improper retailer of Mr. L——d's fmall talk, and that of his company. The unprovoked abufe thrown out against the noble head of the law, two great dukes, and fome other perfons of diftinction, defeats the end of his fatire, where it is juft and happily aimed, as it is in fome paffages of the poem. The whole, however, is written with too great a fhare of ridicule and farcafm, ever to produce the ends of amendment and reformation.

40. The

40. The Cobler's End. A Tale.

Addressed to a Friend. By
8vo. Pr. 15. Fell.
and contains the story of

Solomon Partridge, Junior. This is intended as a moral tale, honeft cobler Crifp and his wife, who were fo happy and contented a pair, that their landlord at his death left them 500 1. a year. This generous legacy ruined them. They left their trade, came up to London, fell into the hands of sharpers, and died not worth a fhilling, in madness and defpair. The author, in a few paffages discovers fome humour, but his rhimes are often intolerable.-Dumb and tongue-interven❜d and feem'd-game and again-undone and fame, and the like, which are very difagreeable in a poem: where the harmony of the rhimes often conftitute one of its chief beauties.

41. An Elegy on a moft excellent Man, and much lamented Friend. Polio. Pr. 1s, Walter.

The merit of this performance lies in delineating an amiable character, and expreffing the language of the heart with an eafy, natural fimplicity.

42. An Elegy on the unexpected Death of an excellent Physician, the justly admired John Martin Butt, M. D. Infcribed to his afflicted family. By a fincere Mourner. Folio. Pr. 15.

Walter.

The character of the foregoing clegy may be applied to this compofition. Both of them are offerings at the shrine of friendship, by a lady; who, on former occafions, has appeared with reputation in the commonwealth of letters.

43. A Letter to the Authors of the Monthly Review. 8vo. Pr. 1. Flexney.

The treatife intitled, Explanations, of fome difficuit Texts. in the New Testament, was cenfured with great feverity by the Monthly Reviewers. In this Letter, the author endeavours to fhew, that there is neither ingenuity nor candor in their criticisms on his performance. We do not apprehend, that his remonftrance will be thought very interesting by the generality of readers, who are not concerned in this dispute; but it is written with temper, and will do him no difcredit as an author. Our readers will find a very particular, and we hope an impartial account of the work in queftion, in our Review for September, 1769.

44. Protefiant Armour: or the Church of England Man's Defence against the open Attacks and artful Infinuations of Popish Delufion.

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There are no topics in divinity, which have been more frequently and thoroughly canvaffed, than the fubjects of difpute

between

between the Romish and the proteftant churches. We have had many excellent tracts, in which the errors of the former have been clearly and effectually refuted. But fome of them are gradually finking into oblivion; and others are only to be found in the works, perhaps, the voluminous works, of their respective authors. This writer therefore very reasonably concluded, that there are many people, who would be glad to fee the several points of this controverfy thrown together under one view, and to be furnished, at an easy expence, both of time and charge, not with mere puerile instruction, but with fubftantial knowledge and manly reafoning; fuch as may enable them to defend themselves against the artful attacks of their adversaries, and affign a proper reason for their dissension from the church of Rome.

In this light, the work before us, as it appears to be drawn up with propriety and judgment, may be extremely useful in proteftant families.

45. Dua Differtationes: in quarum Priore probatur, Variantes Lectiones & Menda, quæ in facram Scripturam irrepferunt, non labefa&tare ejus Auctoritatem in rebus, quæ ad Fidem & Mores pertinent in Pofteriore vero, Prædeftinationem Paulinam ad Gentilium Vocationem totam fpectare. A Thoma Edwards, S. T. P. Aul. Clar. Cantab, nuper Socio. 8vo. Pr. 25. T. Payne.

In the first of thefe Differtations the learned author has proved, that the various lections and mistakes which have crept into the text of the Old and New Teftament, do not affect its authority in matters of importance.

In the fecond he fhews, that the predeftination spoken of by St. Paul wholly relates to the calling of the gentiles into the Christian difpenfation.

What the author has advanced upon thefe topics is rational and judicious.

46. Mifcellaneous Thoughts of an univerfal Free-Thinker.

Pr. 6. Woodgate.

This volume is the compofition of an uncultivated genius, who, in the course of three or four hundred pages, has thrown out fome rational observations, but a much greater number of crude and incoherent effufions. The following quotations will be fufficient to gratify the reader's curiofity:

• The man whofe regards are wholly turned upon this world, walks through it blindfold, or rather like one with distempered eyes, which beholding the flame of a fingle candle, can fee nothing but merely a bundle of rays that caft a light fo fuliginous and confufed, he is forced to fhut his eyes speedily for prefent ease and relief, owing to that multiplicity of croffing

and twisting rays which withdraws the object itself quite out of fight, and renders it of no more use than were there not any fuch placed before him: whilft the fteadiness and fimplicity of a Chriftian's view in defcrying truth, affuredly finds both what it is, and where it is, from whom their Lord will never remove. his candlestick.'

This is one of our author's brighter fentiments, yet, through the whole, his ideas are confused, and his language ungrammatical.

A fpecimen of what he calls first and fecond thoughts.

1. Recurre a Deo, non eft pbilofophari.

•To have recourfe to God in argument, you know, is not philofophy.

2. To what, or to whom, fhould we have recourse but to God, so very certain as it is that no kind of philosophical reafoning can help men to a jot of true knowledge, in many things daily paffing before their eyes; they muft wait with patience till they come to that abode where all fuch fhall be laid open to their view, where there will be nothing wrapped in covers, either fingle, or double, or tenfold, as they have hitherto been prefented to the dim eye-fight of human creatures at this their first birth; let them then no longer fet up themselves for perfect and adequate judges of their Creator's dealing with them either here, or hereafter, efpecially in fo fleeting a term of their existence, but firmly conclude that in this fhort duration were we afforded ever fo little knowledge concerning our future and eternal state, we should always be careful that we lofe not one jot of that little, fince 'tis all fufficient for us undoubtedly, while remaining on earth, therefore ought to be efteemed as precious as the polar star in navigation, it being the fole guide which fteers our vessels into that fafe harbour whither the wife inceffantly labour to arrive at laft.'

By the Latin fentence, which introduces this obfervation, it is evident, that the learning of this free-thinker has not extended to Lily's grammar, At the conclufion are fome poetical reflections on infidelity, credulity, flattery, truth, repentance, &c. in miferable rhyme.

47. Twelve Sermons on the most interefling Subjects of the Chriftian Religion, preached upon feveral Occafions, by Haddon Smith, Curate of St. Matthew, Bethnal-Green. 8vo. Pr. 33. 64. in boards. Turpin.

Thefe difcourfes are of the practical kind. They feem to be juvenile compofitions. The language in many places is incorrect: but the author's manner is lively, and his meaning perfpicuous. In a word, though they will not bear a critical

examination, they may be read with advantage by perfons who are serious, and well-difpofed, and capable of receiving benefit by fermons.

48. A Treatise on the Existence of a Divine Being from all Eternity. To which is annexed a fuccin& Treatife on the Immortality of the Soul. Illuftrated to Demonftration, 410. Pr. 1. Wilkie.

The author of this tract appears to be a pious, well-meaning man; but is a very indifferent writer, and a worse metaphyfician.

49. Religious Exercifes recommended. Or Difcourfes on fecret_and Family Worship, and the religious Obfervation of the Lord's Day. With two Difcourfes on the heavenly State, confidered under the Idea of a Sabbath. By Job Orton. 12mo. Pr. 31. Long

man.

Thefe difcourfes are plain and familiar, and contain many useful directions of a practical nature. They are chiefly intended for perfons of ordinary abilities, in the lower stations of life; and to thefe, if read with attention, and an honest inclination to improve, they may be of excellent ufe. The author appears to be actuated by a spirit of rational piety, and a fincers defire to promote the most effential interests of mankind.

so. An Expofition of the Catechism of the Church of England, by Question and Answer. By Thomas Vivian, Vicar of Cornwood, Devon. I 2mo. Pr. 31. Dilly.

Mr. Vivian obferves, that among all the expofitions of the church catechism, which he has known to be put into the hands of young perfons, it is difficult to find any calculated to anfwer the main purpofe, that of teaching young and ignorant perfons what they fhall do to be faved. This complaint, he fays, having been made by many perfons, gave occasion to the prefent attempt.

Few authors, we believe, who have written upon the catechism, have attended more minutely than Mr. Vivian to every article, or have taken greater pains to confirm those articles by paffages of fcripture.

In points of controverfial divinity, he generally follows the fentiments of our reformers. Thefe it is poffible may be right; but, in fome inftances, it is more than probable they are wrong. If fo, a work of this kind will have a tendency to propagate and establish fyftematical errors. Fragments of fcripture may be easily collected; and, with great plausibility, applied to the defence of abfurdities. It is the fafeft way to learn the doctrines of chriftianity from the fcriptures them

felves;

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