peared in this Paper) I fay, thou fhalt not Daily Gazerteer, May 14. HE Author of Common Senfe having of Scandal and Defamation, which he would have the World take as an Antwer to the Accufations that have been brought against him, till a confiderable Distance of Time after they came out, toolifhly imagining, that by remaining filent fo long, the Charge againft him would be forgot, and that by throwing out the vileft Falfhoods, and moft outrageous Calumnies on others, he should escape Tbeen charged in the Daily Gazetteer humfelt, and turn the Eye of the Pubick of March 29, and April 17 lalt, with feverał Matters very much affecting his Cha- B rafter, as a publick Writer, and which, if they remain unanfwer'd, muft, in the Opinion of every Man, whatever Party he is of, make him appear the vileft of Cheats and Impoftors, and the moft infamous of all Fellows; inftead of giving any Answer to what is alledged against him in thofe Papers, or faying one Word to the Purpofe of what particularly relates to himself, has, agreeably to the known conftant Practice of all thefe fcribling Fellows upon fuch Occafions, run out into the groffeft and moft fcandalous Abufes of Gentlemen of very great Diftinction in the Administration, and pelted them with all the Scurrility and Nonfenfe which all Bedlam and Billing fgate could rake together, tho' thofe Gentlemen had not the leaft Knowledge of either of thofe Papers, which this profligate Fellow has made his Pretence for being fo very impudent and abufive, before they appeared in Print, and very probably not even then; and fo he was told before; and indeed the Thing fpeaks itfelf; for it is impoffi. ble for any Man of common Senfe to believe or imagine, that Gentlemen of their high Rank and Dignity, and continual Avocations to Bufinels, which fill up every Moment of their Time, fhould defcend below themselves fo far, or, if they had Inclination, fhould have Leifure to enter into a perfonal Controverfy with fuch a low Tool and dirty Scribler as this: but, notwithstanding the Thing is fo utterly incredible, and fo very ridiculous and abfurd, yet the Fellow is fo egregioufly ftupid and foolish as ftill to perfift in it, and to fancy that by doing fo, fome may be found weak enough to believe it; and, therefore, in hopes to amufe and draw off the Attention of the Reader from the real Matter in Controvery, which is the clearing of his own Character, he has endeavoured, as far as in him lay, to blacken and flander the Characters of others, not at all concerned in the Queftion, with this further Circumftance too, which is worthy of Obfervation, that he did not even venture to publish this Heap Regard for the Intereft of the Church of England, and the Purity of her Doctrine. Libertinifm in Principles and Practice cannot be more detrimental to her Conftitution than the mad Frolicks of an over beated Zeal and Devotion. A fition towards me. It was not long be fore the Difcourfe turn'd upon Religion. I now began to perceive the Caules of his Diftemper. He defcanted to me on the ftupendous Subjects of Free Grace, Holy Influences, Regeneration, Election, Upon one Account the Libertine feems Reprobation, and gave fome fhrewd to be a much lefs formidable Enemy than Hints that I had the Tokens of the laft the Enthuliaft, as there are more Hopes of upon me. The many wild Inconfiftencies Reformation from him than from the he ran himfelf into in half an Hour's other. As he generally acts upon no Talk, together with the natural Aversion Principles at all, or elfe upon very unfet- I have to any thing of Morofeness in Retled ones, and fuch as have been but very ligion, threw me into the utmost Concern lightly examin'd by him, he may, as the for him. Befides the utter Impossibility. Heat of Youth goes off, and after a Fa- B of perfuading thofe People by plain Rea tigue of fenfual Pleafures, arrive at his fon and Argument, there appear'd fomeright Mind, and true Notion of Things. thing fo ridiculous in the whole Tenour But we can have no room to think fo of the of his Difcourfe, as intirely forbad my ma Enthuliaft. He acts upon Notions, wild king a ferious Reply.- --What could as they are, which to him appear as cerà do? To have laugh'd would have tain as Revelations from the Deity, nay, been as great a Breach of good Manners which he oftentimes is politively perfuaded in me, as it would have been thought, C in himfelf are Revelations. How then by him, irreligious and profane. I recan we expect a Change in this Man, who member'd likewife, the Advice of old Of thelters his Errors under the Pretext of born to his Son, viz. "Defpife not a ProInfallibility, and pretends to act by the im- feffion of Holiness, because it may true : mediate Influence of Heaven? But have a Care how you truft it, for fear it should be falfe. That there are now fuch a Set of Men in the World, who would endeavour to perfuade us that they are actuated by an D extraordinary Influence from above, that they openly aver their Principles, and are continually ftriving to gain Profelytes to them, can be no Mystery to any one who has well confider'd the Tenets and Difpofitions of our Modern Methodiíts. What an unhappy Influence their No- E tions may have upon the Young and Unwary, I thall prove to you, by an Account of a Vifit I lately made to a Gentleman of my Acquaintance, unaccountably poflefs'd by them.I had formerly a very particular Intimacy with him at School, where I had obferv'd in him an amiable Simplicity of Manners, with a wonderful Quicknefs and Vivacity of Parts. In fhort, his Capacity and Accomplishments were fuch as, I have often thought, could not but one Day make him a Delight to his Friends, an Honour to his Country, and an Ornament to whatever Profeffion he should think proper to engage in. His I was furpriz'd to find myfelf receiv'd by him with a wonderful Coldness. Inftead of warm Expreflions of Friendship, and Propofals for the Continuance of it, I immediately perceiv'd the Marks of Dif. fatisfaction upon his Countenance demure, Look and Refervedness of Beha-, viour, quickly told me that I was no welcome Gueft. However, I was refolv'd to stay fome Time, in order to examine into the Reasons of this Change of Difpo F G H During this Debate with myself enter'd a Gentlemen, whofe Face I had a long Time been acquainted with, and to which (as I am apt to build a good deal on Phyiognomy) I had often conceiv'd a parti cular Averfion: His meagre Countenance, lank Hair, Puritanical Behaviour, and Stock of fpiritual Pride which domineer'd in every Look of him, gave me the utmost Horror at the Thought of his being my Friend's Confident. I foon found he had got full Poffeffion of the young Gentleman's Soul and Confcience, and that in every thing he obey'd him as his Ghoftly Father and Counfeller. It was now about 3 in the Afternoon, and my Friend looking very wifhfully upon a large Plate of Bread and Butter, was reaching out his Hand to feize a Slice, when the Rev. Gentleman cruelly reftrain'd him, and, in a rough Tone, ask'd him; whether he could not abstain for s Minutes longer? Telling him, that it wanted fo much for the Time of Fafting to be expir'd.You may suppose me, Sir, not a little out of Countenance at Rebuke my Friend receiv'd from his fe vere Confeffor. It put me in Mind of a Pafiage I had read in Prudentius. Quofdam de Populo vidit Sacerdos By this Time my Patience was well nigh spent, and I began to confult with myself myfelf, whether I had beft take my Leave quietly, or first of all vent a little of my Spleen againft this Religious Seducer. However, defpairing of doing any Good by the latter, I determin'd upon the for mer. A Let me ask you, now, Mr Common Senfe, is this Method of acting, this in culcating fevere Notions of Christianity, agreeable to the mild and gentle Precepts of the Gofpel? Is it agreeable to the Genius of that Religion, the Founder of which has told us, that his Yoke is easy, and his Burthen light? A Religion whose Doctrines are compatible with any rea- B fonable Enjoyment our Nature is capable of, and are not defign'd to eradicate, but to lay a gentle Restraint upon our Appe tites? Not to confider this Evil of Methodifm any farther in a religious View, I fhall confine myself to a few Reflections upon the bad Effects it may have upon Civil Society. he has begun, with his charitable Leci If he practis'd after this Manner with 1 The laft fad Confequence arifing from I think it must be own'd by all, that a Multitude of Sects in Religion must be very difadvantageous to any Community. Differences of Opinion in religious Matters not only breed Diffenfions and Animofities among the People, but generally carry along with them a Diversity of Sentiments with regard to Government. Befides, that fuch Difagreements mult naturally be very inconvenient to thofe at the Helm of State, as they must every now and then lay them under a NecefLity of difobliging one Party or another E Some late Applications to the prefent Miniftry, may fully prove the Truth of I fhall add this laft Obfervation. what the celebrated Author of The Sentiments of a Church of England-Man fays to great Separation from the Establish'd this Purpose: I think it clear, that any Church, tho' to a new one that is more pure and perfect, may be an Occafion of endan gering the Publick Peace, because it will compofe a Body always in Reserve, prepared to follow any difcontented Heads, upon the plaufible Pretexts of advancing true Religion, and oppofing Error, Superftition, or Idolatry. The Industry of the inferior People in a Society is the great Source of its Profperity. But if one Man, like the Rev. Mr Whitefield, thould have it in his Power, by his Preaching, to detain 5 or 6 Thoufands of the Vulgar from their daily Labour, what a Lofs, in a little Time, may this bring to the Publick!-- For my Part, I fhall expect to hear of a prodigious Rife in the Price of Coals, about the City of Briftol, if this Gentleman proceeds, as F From the Craft fium, May 26. Siow the Fashions of our Betters, it is always a Mark of Refped to 1. By whofe Authority, from whófe Inftructions, or with whofe Privity, were G the fix Characters drawn in a late Gazetteer? 2. Who gave the Author of that Paper Leave to ftigmatize a noble Earl's EmIf he was guilty of exceed bafly? ing his Inftructions, why was he not puIf he was not guilty, how nih'd? dares this impudent Fellow introduce the K himfelt to accuse him? 3. Who hath the Power to transfer the Secrets and proper Buliefs of one of bis Majesty's Principal Secretaries of Stat Kk * We should explain them in our next. 1 1 the nearest Approach of their Centers, may be expected according to the following Type. Moon's apparent Semidiameter 14' 44"; and vifible Latitude 5° 10' 14". S. D. Mr URBAN, YORK, April 27, 1732. Puns Eclipfe, that will happen on the 24th of July, 1739, in the Afternoon; LEASE to infert in your next Magazine the following Calculation and Type of the which I have calculated from Leadbetter's Tables for the Latitude of York, with the principal Appearances thereof. Yours, &c. W. SCHOOLCROFT Figure of the Eclipfe at York. The principal PHENOMENA of this Solar Eclipfe are as follows. Longitude. 00 126 10 30 Weft Rifes centrally eclipfed in unknown3 03 23 71 Ocean N. W. of America. Centrally eclipfed in the Meridian'in 3 18 08 86 the frozen Ocean. Centrally eclip fed in & Nonagef. De gree, North of Lapland. Sets centrally eclipfed in the Eaftern 4 15 09 57 35 00 The Eclipfe ends at Sun-fetting, in 26 07 26 25 56 00 the Defart of Barbary. Sun's upper juft touch'd by Moon's lower Limb in the Meridian. 55 38 15 Eaft: 6 50 30 Eaft, N. W. Atlantic Ocean. Duration of the Central Eclipfe Having found that the Lives, which me TRS Elizabeth Rome was born at M lichefter in Somerset fhire, Sept. 11, B to reconcile his Neighbours, or to right the Injur'd and Opprefs'd; the relt of 'his' Hours are entirely devoted to his private Devotions, and to Books, which are his perpetual Entertainment. Of Mrs Rowe's two Sifters, one died in Childhood, the other furvived to her twentieth Year, a lovely Concurrent in the Race of Virtue and Glory. She had the fame extreme Paffion for Books as her elder Sifter, chiefly thole of Medicine, in which Art fhe arrived to a confiderable Inight; and if it could not be faid of them both, in the Letter, as of the virtuous Woman in the Proverbs, that their Candle went not out by Night, yet it frequently burnt till after the Middle of it; fo great was their Thirt of Knowledge, and the Picature they had in gratifying it. Thofe who were acquainted with this extraordinary Perfon in her childifli Years, obferved a great many Things not common in that Age of Life, which then promifed the bright Day that afterwards enfied; and it must have been with peculiar Satisfaction that Mr Suger, in whom parental Affection conspired to D heighten the Pleafure, beheld the early Dawnings of a great and good Mind in this his charming Daughter. 1674, being the eidelt or three Daugh ters of Mr Walter Singer, a Gentleman of a good Family, and Mrs Elizabeth Portnell, both of them Perfons of very great Worth and Piety. Mr Singer was not a Native of Town now-mention'd, nor an Inhabitant, before his Imprifonment there for his Nonconformity in the Reig of K. Charles II. Mrs Portnell C thinking herself obliged to vifit thofe who fuffer'd on that Account, from hence that Acquaintance commenced, which terminated in the Nuptial Union. Till her Death Mr Singer relided at Ilchefter, but, foon after her Decease, removed into the Neighbourhood of Frome in the fame County; where he became fo well known and diftinguished for his good Senfe, primitive Integrity, Simplicity of Manners, uncommon Prudence, Activity and Faithfulness in difcharging the Duties of his Station, inflexible Adherence to his Principles, and at the fame Time truly catholic Spirit, as to be held in high Eteem, even by Perfons of fuperior Rank: My Lord Weymouth, who was reckoned a very good Judge of Men, not only writing to him, but honouring him with his Vifits; as did the devout Bishop Kenn very frequently, fometimes once à Week; fuch a Charm is there in F unaffected Goodnefs, and fo naturally do Kindred Souls, warmed and actuated by the fame heavenly Paffion, and purfuing the fame glorious End, run and mingle together with the greatest Plea fure. The Public cannot but be pleafed with Character of this good Man, as drawn G by his Daughter, after her beautiful and eafy Manner, in a familiar Letter to a Friend. I have Ene and Plenty to the Extent of my Wishes, and can form Defires of nothing but what my Father's Indulgence wou'd procure. The perfect Sanelity of his Life, and the • Benevolence of his Temper, make him a Refuge to all in Ditrefs, to the Widow and Fatherlefs: The People load him with Bielings and Prayers when ever he goes abroad, which he never does but She received the fit ferious Impressions of Religion, probably, as foon as the was capable of it; at once perceiving her Obligations to the Author of her Being, and, in the fame Meafire, as her opening Reafon difcovered these to her, feeling the Force of them. In one of her pious Addrelles the herfeit thus foeaks to God: My Infant Hinds were early lifted up to thee, and I fom learned to know and acknowledge the God of my Fathers. (Deyout Exercifes p. 36.) There is fo great a Similitude between Painting and Poetry, that it is no way fu priling, one who poficfled the latter of thefe Faculties in fo high a Degree of Perfection, did very early difcover an Inclination to the other; which has often the fame Followers, perhaps always the fame Admirers. Accordingly Mrs Rowe loved the Pencil when he had hardly Strength and Steadiness of Hand futficient to guide it; and in her Infancy (one may almost venture to fay fo) would fqueeze out the Juices of Herbs to furve her instead of HClours. Mr Singer perceiving her Fondnels of this Art, was at the Expence of a Mafier to inftruct her in it; and it never cealed to be her Amufement, at Times, till her Death. She was alfo, what every one acquain- |