of its enjoyments, with the means of attaining them-the flyle of the fcriptures the antiquity of the book of Job-the authority and integrity of the feptuagint verfion-punishing the iniquities of fathers upon their children, the ufe and intent of the Jewish lyftem, in regard to the rett of mankind-the objection made by deifts, to the profcription of the Canaanites, &c.

On fome of thefe fubjects we meet with a few juft fentiments: but the. Author writes in fo lople and inaccurate a manner, with fo flight a regard to order and method, and with fo little precifion in his ideas,, th t we must confefs we have met with no great pleasure in perusing his work.

be

Art. 23. A Concordance to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Teftament. Wherein not only any Paffage in the Bible may found, by the Recollection of any material Word of it; but also all the Texts relative to every Chriftian Virtue or Doctrine are pointed, out at one View; as likewife the most remarkable parallel Texts of Scripture. 8vo. 5 s. Printed for Goadby, and fold by

Baldwin.

This Concordance may, probably, be of great ufe to fuch perfons as have not an opportunity of confulting the much more complete one by Cruden. For though the Compiler of the prefent work fays, (in the preface) that you will find all the texts, which fpeak (for instance) of ADULTERY, ander that word; yet whoever will be at the trouble of confulting the fam article in Cruden's Concordance, will there find feveral texts, entirely omitted here. We muft, however, own, that the moft material are to be met with alfo in this performance; which may be looked upon as a kind of compendium of the other.

This piece made its first appearance at the end of Goadby's I luftration. of the Scriptures,-a. work, profeffed to be published for the ufe of the POOR; though in three very large volumes folio:of the rawo first of: which, we have given fome account in the courfe of our Review; which: may also ferve for the third, as it differs in no material circumftances from the former. And, indeed, of late, comments upon the Bible have become fo exceffively numerous, that our Readers might well. complain, if we were even to infert but the title pages of them all. Art. 24. Heaven open to all Men; or, Univerfal Redemption af ferted and vindicated, from Scripture, the Attributes of the Deity, and the Reafon and Nature of Things: defigned to explode thofe narrow Principles which fome have inculcated, and to excite a general Piety and Charity amongst Mankind. 8vo. I s. 6d. Cooke.

Re-printed, with alterations, from a noted pamphlet which firft made its appearance about twenty years ago, with a title fimilar to the above. There are many fenfible as well as benevolent things in this tract; although the Author feems, now and then, to have fomewhat puzzled the caufe with elaborate reafonings drawn from certain contefted doctrines; and by his reverence for the decifions of the church, we were almoft inclined to imagine him a Roman catholic in difguife. This, however, few would fufpect from main pofition on which all his arguments turn, viz. that God wat all men be faved;' and from his notion,

of a general and univerfal redemption, through Chrift.-On the whole, the doctrines here inculcated, whether demonftrable or not, are of infinitely more falutary tendency, than many which are daily broached, and which only ferve to difturb the minds of weak and ignorant, though pious, well-meaning people; and fometimes lead them to the horrors of defpair, and even to the very heights of diftraction.

Art. 25. The Scripture-doctrine of the Deity of the Son and Holy Spirit, reprefented, in two Sermons preached at Bristol, March 24, and April 21, 1765. Occafioned by a Pamphlet, entitled, An Attempt, &c. by George Williams, a Livery-fervant. Together with fome Animadverfions on the Preface to the Second "Edition of that Performance. By Caleb Evans. Bristol printed, and fold by Buckland, &c. London.

This pamphlet, as we now understand, was published about five or fix months ago; but, it feems, the publifher's advertisement escaped the notice of the perfon employed to collect the new books and pam-, phlets, for the use of the Reviewers; and we had, to this day, remained, ignorant that Mr. Evans's two fermons were to be met with in London, had it not been for fome accidental intelligence from the country. It is true, that in July lait, a pamphlet, entitled, A Letter to the Rev. Mr. Caleb Evans, &c.' came under our infpection; but it was not clear to us, from the remarks in that letter, on fome things advanced in Mr. E.'s Two Sermons on the Deity, &c. that thofe fermons were actually publifhed, and advertifed, in the ufual manner. We however made enquiry after them, but without fuccefs; and were thence led to conjecture, that they had been privately circulated in the country, but had not found their way up to the metropolis. Accordingly, in our short. mention of the letter to Mr. Evans, in the Review for July, we obferved, that from the epifle then before us, we learnt, that Mr. E. had zealously attacked the livery-fervant: from which mode of expreffion, Mr. E. might have collected, that we had not feen his pamphlet; for it is not our practice to mention anfwers to any printed production, without previously taking notice of the work which gave birth to the reply:-and had Mr. E. on this occafion, candidly favoured us with the information we wanted, inllead of putting the most harsh and uncharitable construction on this accidental deviation from our ufual courfe, we apprehend he would have acted more becomingly than, we are told, he has done, by printing virulent invectives against us in country news-papers, and fpreading malicious infinuations, of we know not what unfair intention, with regard to his two fermons, as if we endeavoured to obstruct their circulation and influence, by refufing them the cuftomary place in our monthly publication.-We have now honeftly told the exact truth, and affigned the real caufe of that omiffion; and we truft it will fully fatisfy every candid perfon whom Mr. E. may have attempted to prejudice against us, on this account.- -As to the merits of this gentleman's performance, we think it is now rather too late to enter into particulars; and therefore we fhall conclude with this fingle obfervation, which in juftice is due to his abilities, whatever becomes of his candour, that, after an attentive perufal of the tract before us, we think him a notable advocate for the Athanafians, and as good a match for the Arians, as any champion that hath lately taken the field against them. 5

Art. 2

Art. 26. Simple Truth vindicated: in fundry important theological Queries; which are examined and refolved by the Scriptures only: under four general Heads; namely, I. The Knowledge of the true God. II. Exhortations to Faith and Obedience...III. The Nature and Effects of justifying Faith. IV. The Nature, Manner, and Evidences of the Work of the Spirit of God on the Hearts of Men. 8vo. Is. Vernor and Chater. As a fpecimen of this anonymous Writer's talent at theological reafoning, and of his method of refolving difficulties by the help of the holy fcriptures, we fhall give the following paffage from his tract on the nature and effects of juftifying faith.-Question, Is not faith, or believing, a work of the mind?' To this he answers 'No.' And thus he fupports his negative: For if it is, it must be a work of the law, as the law refpects the thoughts and intents of the heart, or elfe un❤ belief would be no breach of the law; for where there is no law there is no tranfgreffion. Now if the faith that juftifies, be confidered as a work or deed of the law, then we are juftified by a deed of the law. But the fcriptures confider faith, not as a work of ours, or as any action exerted by the human mind at all, but fet it in direct oppofition to every work, whether of body or mind. "Now to him that worketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that juftifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." This contraft excludes every idea of activity in the mind from the matter of juftification. It is eafy to fee how faith may work with the works of him that believes, in every act of love and obedience; but how the mind of an unbeliever should act to get faith, or please God without it, does not appear; yet if believing confifts in any activity of our minds, towards the truth to be believed, previous to believing it, this must be admitted: nevertheless, unbelief, as an actual rejection of the teftimony of God, may stand opposed to faith, as a paffive reception of it.'

We prefume not to enter the field of controversy with so profound a reafoner as the Author before us. Leaving our Readers, therefore, to make the best they can of what he has faid on the fubject, we shall obferve, in general, of fuch writers, that the ufe to which they commonly put the facred oracles, is alone fufficient to make men unbelievers, or confirm them in their infidelity. David Hume, or Peter Annet, have no occafion to busy themselves in order to make profelytes to deism; thefe (perhaps well-meaning) unintelligible dabblers in theology can do the business well enough without them.

$

POETICA L.

Art. 27. The Methodist, a Poem. By E. Lloyd, Author of The Powers of the Pen, and The Curate. 4to. 2s. 6d. Richardfon and Urquhart.

Vice and folly, or a combination of both, are certainly a very proper quarry for the purfuit of fatyr; and religious follies are undoubtedly of all others the worft ;-for they are productive both of moral and natural and are at once deftructive both of mind and body. of ridicule therefore is well applied to thefe, but the the most skilful management. How far the Author

of this poem is qualified for facceeding in fuch ra undertaking, will, in
fme meafure, appear from the flowing erat: after giving an ac-
count of the compaft between Saras and Va•, the rarer of Tatten-
tam Court, he thus represents the manner in which the latter kept his
oath of allegiance to the former:

Right faithfully his Oath he kept,
And might each night before he depe
Boat of his lapours to maintain,
And spread abroad his Mader's reign;
Might boat the magic of his rod
To whip away the Love of God,
For a of God be makes appear
Has nought to love, but a to fear.
That debt, which Gratitude each day
Paying, would till own much to pay ;
Intead of Duty freely paid,

A Tyrant's hard Exaction's made.
Fitted the fimple to cajole,

First of his wits, and then his foul,
He urges fifty falfe pretences,

Preaching his hearers from their fenfes.
He knows his Mafter's realm fo well,
His fermons are a Map of Hell,
An Ollio made of Conflagration,
Of Gulphs of Brimstone, and Damnation,
Eternal Torments, Furnace, Worm,
Hel-fire, a Whirlwind, and a Storm,
With Mammon, Satan, and Perdition,
And Beelzebub to help the difh on;
Belial and Lucifer, and all

The Nick names which Old Nick we call→

But he has ta'en especial care,

To have nor Senfe nor Reason there.

A thousand fcorching words befide,

Over his tongue as glibly fide,
Familiar as a glass of wine,

Or a tobacco-pipe on mine;

That you wou'd fwear he was compleater,
Than Powell, as a Fire-eater.
Virgins he will feduce aftray,
Only to fhew the shortest way
To Heaven, and because it lies
Above the Zodiac in the fkies,.
That they may better see the track,
He lays them down upon their Back.
Domeftic peace he can destroy,
And the confufion view with joy,

Children from parents he can draw,

What's Confcience?—he is fafe from Law

That we may be fure not to mistake the perfon here aimed at, Mr.

Lloyd has dwelt much on a natural bodily defect, and been very fevers on Mr. W. for the unpardonable crime of quinting.

The closest union can divide,

Take hufbands from their spouse's fide,
But it turns out to better use,

Wives from their husbands to feduce;
And as their journey lies up-hill,
Ev'ry incumbrance were an ill;

And left their speed fhou'd be withstood,
He takes their Money-for their Good.

Such he tells us, is

the agent Satan chofe,

Religious progrefs to oppofe.

But whether the representation is strictly juft, or how far such strains are likely to flop the growing progrefs of methadifm, we leave the judicious Reader to judge, from the fpecimen we have given.

Art. 28. Poems by Charles Jenner, A. M. 4to. 3s. Dodfley.

These poems are in various fpecies of compofition, and have different merit.—When the Author attempts the serious or fublime, his efforts are unfuccefsful; but he tells a tale pretty well, and his fables, from which we shall select the following, are very tolerable:

The FRENCH PEASANT.

When things are done, and past recalling,
'Tis folly, then, to fret or cry.

Prop up a rotten houfe that's falling,
But when it's down, e'en let it lye.
O Patience! Patience! thou'rt a jewel,
And, like all jewels, hard to find.

'Mong'ft all the various men you fee,
Examine ev'ry mother's Son;
You'll find they all in this agree,

To make ten troubles out of one;
When Paffions rage, they heap on fuel,
And give their Reafon, to the wind.
Hark! don't you hear the gen'ral cry?
"Whofe troubles ever equall'd mine!”
How readily each ftander-by

Replies, with captious echo, Mine.

Sure, from our Clime this difcord fprings:
Heav'n's choiceft bleffings we abufe,
For ev'ry Englishman alive,

Whether Duke, Lord, Efquire, or Gent,
Claims, as his juft prerogative,

Eafe, Liberty, and Discontent.

A Frenchman often farves and fings,
With chearfulness, and wooden fhoes.

A Peafant, of the true French breed,
Was driving in a narrow road,
A Cart, with but one forry fteed,
And fill'd with onions; fav'ry load!
Carelefs, he trudg'd along before,
Singing a Gafcon Roundelay.

Hard