is good, but his knowlege is confined and partial. When he, for intance, fays, that Socinianifm and Christianity are as oppofite as the two Poles, and as unlikely to be united; and that the appellation, Chriftian, may be as justly given to a Turk or a Jew as to one who does not embrace the principles which he profeffes to defend; fuch paffages feem to indicate a very limited knowlege of the subject, or a want of Chriftian charity. List of THANKSGIVING SERMONS continued: See our laft. XVII. Preached in the Parish Church of Madron, in Cornwall, April 23, 1789; being the Day appointed for a General Thankf giving for the Recovery of the King. By the Rev. W. Tremenheere, A. B. 4to. IS. Pp. 10. Wilkie. A proper excitement to national gratitude, for national mercies and blethings. XVIII. At Billericay; published at the Request of the Congregation. By James Fry. 8vo. IS. PP. 30. Buckland. Delivered, we fuppofe, to a congregation of Proteftant Diffenters. The author introduces a rational account of the origin and ufe of government; of which he manifells a just conception; fuch as becomes a hearty friend to liberty, religious and civil. In fhort, this is a good Revolution-fermon; and the preacher's tranfition in the latter part of his difcourfe, from politics, to the religious duties of the day, equally merits commendation. XIX. Preached in the Parish-Church of St. Mary Woo!noth, Lombard-Street, April 23, &c. &c. By John Newton, Rector. 8vo. PP. 35. 15. Buckland. Somewhat in the Tabernacle ftrain,-as might be expected by those who are converfant with Mr. Newton's writings, -Cardiphonia, Omicron's Letters, the Olney Hymns, &c. &c. all which are too well known to require farther notice at this time. XX. On Occafion of the late General Thanksgiving, &c. By Benjamin Dawson, L. L. D. Rector of Burgh, in Suffolk. 4to. pp. 16. 6d. Longman, &c. This learned and fenfible preacher expatiates, very justly, on the bleffings which flow to us, from our legal, mild, and equal adminiftration of government; adverts, with propriety, to our late alarming apprehenfions, from the threatened lofs and actual fufpenfion of thofe enjoyments; and pioufly calls on us for adequate expreffions of our gratitude to the great Difpenfer of all good, for the gracious reftoration and continuance of thofe civil and religious benefits, by which we are so remarkably diftinguished, as the most favoured nation on earth. XXI. Preached at New-Court, Carey-Street, by Richard Winter. 8vo. pp. 17. 6d. Buckland. This pious difcourfe, which was delivered to a Diffenting Congregation, may be confidered as a well adapted expofition of the text, 8 1 Tim. 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2, with a due improvement, and fuitable admonitions. XXII. Preached in the Parish-Church of Olney, in Bucks, by James Bean, Vicar. Svo. 1s. pp. 38. Johnson. The good vicar of Olney draws, from the fcriptures, a long train of providential difpenfations in favour of the Ifraelites, and of the Chriftian religion. Thence defcending to our own national history, he expatiates on the threatned invafion by the celebrated Spanish Armada, and the horrid confpiracy known by the name of the Gunpowder Plot; and he terminates the lift by devoutly enlarging on the alarming circumftances connected with the King's late illness, and on our deliverance from the impending dangers, by his Majefty's happy recovery. This difcourfe is well adapted to the occafion, and to the common apprehenfions of a country congregation. XXIII. In the Parish Church of Mansfield. By the Rev. Charles Plumptre, M. A. Rector of Teverfal, Notts. 4to. 6d. pp. 16. Longman. This fenfible preacher merits commendation, not only for the merit of his compofition, but because he appears, from his short preliminary advertisement, to think, perhaps, too humbly of his own performance. We, however, are by no means difpofed to rank this difcourfe among the meanest of those that have been produced by the great public occafion to which it relates. XXIV. At the Presbyterian Chapel in Salisbury, by Benjamin Williams. 8vo. Is. pp. 16. Goldney. If there is an exuberance, an overflowing of loyalty in this wellmeant difcourfe, the preacher will eafily be pardoned, while exerting his zeal and abilities in fo good a cause. ** The remaining Sermons on this grateful fubject, particularly thofe by Dr. Cooper, Mr. Malham, and Mr. Seddon, must be referved to another opportunity. SINGLE SERMONS, on various Occafions. I. On Ecclefiaftes, chap. vii. ver. 29. Never preached, but publifhed from the Prefs, as from a widely-extending Pulpit. With Explanatory Notes. 8vo. pp. 70. 1s. 6d. Buckland. 1788. The writer of this unpreached fermon, which is ftrongly of a Methodistical complexion, fo overwhelms us with Jewish types and figures, that we were abfolutely bewildered, until we were relieved at the clofe, by a comfortable affurance, that it is not abfolutely neceffary for a Chriftian man to understand the types. This is certainly unbinding the burden which he laid on our shoulders, with the aid of P. Quefnel, who, in a paffage quoted as a motto in the title-page, tells us, that "the farth of the preacher and that of the hearer thould fupport each other." But however closely this may unite every paftor and his congregation, it leaves the pastors at free liberty to differ as much as they pleafe; and we wait for the learned expounders of every perfuafion agreeing in an exact enumeration, and and clear definition, of the Jewish types; or until we are well fatiffied by whofe expofition we ought to abide, amid the variety offered to us. A fpecimen of the writer's poetry, or of his tafte in felection, may fuggeft the complexion of his profe: Now then fhall infant tongues record And that thou who on crofs hung'ft dead Art God, which heav'n and earth haft made!' Those who are capable of disfiguring religion to fo fcandalous a degree, are not, perhaps, aware of the injury which they do to folid, rational, and manly piety. They may, indeed, mean well; but we fear they often do harm; and we have no idea that they can poffibly do any good. II. The Eternity of future Punishment, afferted and improved: a Difcourfe on Matthew, xxv. 46. By D. Taylor. 8vo. pp. 46. 6d. Buckland, &c. 1789. We are not informed where, or to whom, this fulphureous difcourfe was delivered; but Mr. Taylor, in the confidence of fecurity from the horrid punishments which he holds out to others, ftrongly enforces the doctrine of the eternity of Hell torments. It is a fne advantage over our fellow-creatures to have the direction of fuch denunciations; and to point them as fuits a man's conveniency. To hurl their God, an engine on their foe," has been a policy practifed in all ages, and by all perfuafions. Had this terrific doctrine the full effect which the affertors of it wish, existence would become intolerable; few could fupport life under the idea: and we well know how often it produces fuicide among those who do receive it. But it is fo horrid, that reafon, the gift of God, until refigned to fanatical authority, revolts against it; we shall not, therefore, disturb Mr. Taylor in the exultation of proof and demonftration; but leave him, like an unfkilful engineer, who, by an overcharge of gunpowder, destroys the effect which he intended to produce. III. The univerfal Rights of Humanity afferted, and applied to the State of the fuffering Africans. By Philadelphos. 8vo. pp. 49. 1s. Gardner. Another pulpit philippic against the negroe flave trade. We speak of it as a fermon, though it does not wear that name in its front: a proper text, however, ftands in the ufual form, at the head of the difcourfe. Whether this pious diffuafive from the continuance of a branch of commerce, which is now become univerfally odious, was ever preached, does not appear. It feems too long for the attention of a modern audience. IV. Preached at the Primary Vifitation of the Honourable, &c. Brownlow, Lord Bishop of Winchefter, May 9, 1788; published at his Lordship's Requeft. By Owen Manning, B. D. Rector of Peperharow, &c. 40. IS. White. The intent of this difcourfe is to recommend difcretion in matters pertaining to religion. The text is 1 Cor. x. 23. All things are, &c. The author, in a plain and fenfible manner, applies the rule to the 7 conduct conduct of life, and particularly confiders it in relation, to the proper obfervance of the Lord's day. He farther mentions inftances in which what is in its own nature good and commendable, may become improper and injurious, by indifcreet management: fuch as an over-violent zeal for truth, or reformation, or an indifcriminate introduction of religious fubjects, &c. &c. We have obferved ferveral little peculiarities in the language and orthography, which fome may regard as unimportant, to fay the leaft of them: but, be this as it may, the difcourle poffeffes confiderable merit, and will do credit to the preacher. V. Preached at Exeter, before the Affembly of Proteftant Diffenting Minifters, May 7th, 1788. By Timothy Kenrick. 8vo. 6d. Johnfon. The object of this fermon is, to recommend our attention to the religious improvement of youth, during the five or feven years which are paffed, from their leaving fchool. The author modeftly afks whether fomething more ought not to be done, than is generally attempted, to enlighten the minds and form the conduct of young perfons at this time of life? He mentions fome fubjects for the purpole; and, by fuitable arguments, he proves the neceflity of their being explained and inculcated. The difcourfe, though immediately addreffed to those who diffent from the Etablished Church, may claim the regard of Christians in general. It is written in a fenfible and agreeable manner: the text is, Tit. xi. 6. VI. Preached in St. Peter's Church, Colchester, June 24, 1788. By Robert Storry, Vicar of the faid Parish, and Chaplain to the Countefs Dowager of Scarborough. 8vo. IS. Robinfons. A plain and affectionate recommendation of Sunday schools. While the author bestows fome cenfure on the poor, he does not neglect to addrefs the rich, particularly by fome extracts from a book which has been much talked of for a while even in fafhionable circles, viz. "Im portance of the Manners of the Great," &c. See Rev. for May laft, P. 442. Unforeseen and unavoidable accidents ftill delay the continuation of our account of Mr. Pye's Ariftotle. Answers to various Correfpondents will be found at the end of our Appendix, published with this Review. + The account of Mr. Jamefon's Treatife on Diluents (concerning which we have received a letter) was written fome time ago, and fent to the Printer, for this Number; but has been left out, with a great many others, for want of room. THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For AUGUST, 1789. ART. I. ΣΑΜΨΩΝ ΑΓΩΝΙΣΤΗΣ. Johannis Miltoni SAMPSON AGONISTES, Græco Carmine redditus, cum Verfione Latina. A Georgio Henrico Glaffe, A. M. Ædis Chrifti nuper Alumno. [Article continued, from our laft Month's Review.] ETERUM TRAGOEDIARUM de centenis quantilla tantum pars ad noftram ufque memoriam eduravit, fays Valckenaer, in Phoen. 204. when he wishes to introduce the adverb evayxor into a Tragic Iambic, while he allows that apud Tragicos nufpiam invenietur, though he produces three Comic authorities. In this inftance, our judgment does not coincide with that of the great Critic; and the infertion of words into Tragedy, which occur only in the Attic Comedy, or profe writers, except in very evident and particular cafes, fhould not be allowed.-Brunck appears to join in this opinion, as he has not admitted the correction into his text, though, in general, he has given place to emendations without reftraint. It has been endeavoured to fupport this opinion, in our former article, and we shall often recur to it, in the continuation. To fome readers this doctrine may appear too rigid; but we truft, that, on reflection, its truth and weight will not be denied.We shall now proceed in our remarks. V. 39. art; waivov.] Alewivos, in the ufage of which Mr. Glaffe has indulged too freely, is familiar and comic Greek, and ufed by Ariftophanes, Vefp. 1189. Menander, Toborimary, p. 130. and by profe writers. The commentators on Moris, and Thomas Magifter, will fupply examples. Arepare.os is the tragic word. Elchylus Niob. ap. Plut. de Exfil. VIII. p. 379. Γίγνωσκε τ' ανθρωπεια. Agam. 946. Μη νυν τον ανθρωπείον αιδεσθή ψυγον. Eur. Ino. fr. XXI. ap. Stob. CXXIII. p. 615. Grot. CXXV: 507. Γίγνωσκε τ' ανθρωπεια - Soph. Αj. 137. απαλα τ' ανθρώπεια. It is obfervable, however, though alewanos is only used by the comic poets, aufgweios appears to be both a tragic and a VOL. LXXXI. H comic |