its practicability was evinced by a great part of Europe, at the time when fo many kingdoms and ftates renounced the errors and. authority of the Romish church. The Writer declares that he has no defire to diminish the revenues of the clergy, which in many cafes he thinks ought to be increased; but to the prefent mode appointed for their fupport, he, together with many others, has very ftrong objections. His letters are written in a fenfible and spirited manner; but as they have been before feparately published, it is unneceffary for us to give any farther account of them, unless it be to add a few words from the conclufion which is now fubjoined, and which gives a very brief fummary of the letters.

It has been fhewn, we are told, that the tythe-laws have no claim to our refpect as Chriftians, fince they were not recommended by the Apostles,; that they are not to be equally refpected with our other laws, as government had no hand in framing them; but they were invented by popish priests, and then meanly fuffered to be eftablished as the laws of the land: that the protestant clergy do not hold their tythes as property, but as wages, for performing the duties of the church; fo that it is plain the law can make what alteration it pleases in the wages of thofe who are the fervants of government. It has been farther fhewn, that, to pay the clergy their wages, a very fevere and heavy tax is laid upon the farmer, called a tythe, and that he is the only fubject in the kingdom that pays this tax, which is contrary to common fenfe and common honefty; that the tythegatherer is fuffered to tyrannize over him by law; that he pays rent for the ground of which the tythe gatherer has the benefit; that he works for him as his matter, and buys manure and feed to raife him crops out of his own pocket; that there is no appearance of any allowance from his landlord for all thefe hardships, but there is no doubt that be fuffers them all*, so that it is his business to relieve himfelf if he can; that as the tythe laws are fo oppreflive and unjust, and invented only by popish priests, he has reafon to expect relief from the jattice of parliament; and the more fe, because they are a great hindrance to husbandry, and of courfe hurtful to the public;-that the farmer has every encouragement to feek redrefs, fince the legiflature has given plain proofs of its difapprobation of tythes, by allotting to the clergy a quantity of land instead of them, wherever any wattes have been newly enclosed.' And therefore, on thefe and other confiderations, he warmly recommends it to all hufbandmen to concur in an application to parliament for the above-mentioned purpofc.

• This, hoer, is carrying the argument farther, perhaps, than the Author was aware; and amounts, we apprehend, to a grofs mif reprefentation of the cafe. For, as we once obferved on a former occafion, [fee Rev. vol. x. p. 424.] admitting that tythes are not payable by divine appointment, they are fo, however, by common contract. Is not every ellate which is rythe free, fold at higher purchafe, and leafed at greater rent, than fuch as are liable to tythes The burthen of tythes, therefore, mult be confidered as grievous to the landlord, as well as the tenant; and perhaps the weight of it is pretty equally borne between them.

Art. 47. The London Catalogue of Books in all Languages, Arts and Sciences, that have been printed in Great Britain fince the Year MDCC. Properly claffed under the feveral Branches of Literature; and alphabetically difpofed under each Head, with their Sizes and Prices. Svo. 1 s. 1773. No Bookfeller's Name. Sold by Harris.

This catalogue differs from the former compilements of the kind; the books being here claffed under their proper heads; by which means any article fought for may be more eafily found than in the former catalogues, which had not the advantage of fo methodical an arrangement.

Art. 48. Confiderations on the prefent State of the Poor in Great Britain. With Propofals for making the most effectual Provifion for them. Moft refpectfully fubmitted to the Confideration of Parliament. 8vo. Is. Leacroft. 1773.

As obftructions to the free circulation of the animal fluids in the natural body, will diforder thofe parts thus deprived of proper nour ifhment, and render them incapable of their proper functions; fo partial laws, and an unceafing accumulation of taxes, must have fimilar effects on the political body. Those who best know the disease, and the proper remedies for it, are leaft willing to undertake a radical cure, finding it must be performed at their expence. Hence we are furnished only with palliatives to moderate the symptoms, infead of antidotes that reach the latent caufes of our political complaints. If provifions increafe in prices, monopolizers and engrosfers are guarded againft as the enemies of the public; while few extend their obfervation to the rapacity and profufion of those who conduct our flate affairs, in this point of view, because they do not immediately deal in bread, checfe, and bacon: if the numbers of defiitute poor increafe, we confult how they are to be maintained in the best manner, inflead of eafing the heavy burdens impofed on them, under which they fink; and instead of paying a due regard to their morals, on which their fobriety and induftry fo much depend. But fuch maxims are now as remote from practice as thofe of Sir Thomas More's Utopia.

The common people, who are the ftrength of the nation, are decreafing very faft in Britain, fome rifing above the class, but a much greater proportion finking below it; owing to a general taste for oftentation and luxury; a contagion which has extended from the court to the very dregs of the people, and which is perhaps paft all remedy, till the diforder arrives at a crifis, which produces new order out of general confufion. Here it is full time to defcend from the reflections which the pamphlet before us excited, to the pamphlet itfelf; which is one of thofe well meaning performances that a view of the growing numbers of the deftitute poor fo frequently dictates. The purpofe of it is to recommend the establishment of Houfes of Ir duitry, wherein the poor of a convenient number of parishes may be maintained under proper regulations; from the example of one Jately established at Nacton near Ipfwich: the defcription of the coonomy of which houfe is the best part of the performance.

Art. 49. Obfervations on the general Highway and Turnpike Acts, paffed in the feventh Year of his prefent Majefty: And also upon the Report of the Committee of the Houfe of Commons, who were appointed upon the 28th of April, 1772, to confider of the above Acts. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Johnfon.

The multiplicity of our laws, which a continual alteration of circumftances calls for, will in time require the acts relating to all fubjects to be collected into general ftatutes, as hath been already done with thofe refpecting common highways and turnpike roads; and occafion the former numerous and difperfed acts to be repealed. The gentleman by whofe indefatigable labour the road-laws were reformed (Thomas Gilbert, Efq; member for Litchfield) undertook alfo to digeft the laws relating to the poor, for which the public owe him thanks, though he failed in the execution of this good intention by the oppofition of jarring and powerful interefts. But, as in the ftatutes obferved upon in this pamphlet, we can feldom, if ever, hope to fee a digeft of any particular laws formed adequate even to prefent circumftances. However judiciously it may be framed by thofe who have duly confidered and analyfed the former laws; the many finifter and even capricious alterations it must be fubjected to in the committee appointed to prepare it, before it can gain entrance into the Houfe of Commons, together with what it may fuffer before it is paffed; will ever fo far difconcert the original uniformity of the firft draught, as to require fubfequent explanations and amendments, to the harrafling of the fubject, and to the great emolument of the men of the law, and the clerks of the houfes of parliament. Thefe Obfervations on the Highway and Turnpike Acts, which are addreffed to Mr. Gilbert, by Thomas Butterworth Bayley, of Hope, near Manchester, appear to be thofe of a plain fenfible man; but our legiflative affemblies are the proper reviewers of fuch subjects, and to them, therefore, they must be fubmitted.

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIA L. Art. 50. The Life and Character of Jefus Chrift, delineated. By Edward Harwood, D. D. 8vo. 4 s. 6d. fewed. Becket. 1772. Far be it from us to cenfure thofe learned and worthy men who have employed themselves in writing histories of the kind mentioned in the above title. The accounts delivered by the evangelifts, will no doubt, be always molt acceptable, moft efteemed and valued by ferious chriftians: but the labours of ingenious and pious Authors, may prove highly beneficial, for explaining, illuftrating, and enforcing the relations which the facred writers have penned with fuch beautiful fimplicity. It might, notwithstanding, be fuppofed, that there could hardly be a neceflity for the many publications of this kind, which have appeared: however Dr. Harwood does not think that any of the others have precluded his attempt: fome are too critical, or bulky, fome too concife, or enthufiaftic, and therefore he has added to the former number, this performance of his own; which was compofed, we are informed, feveral years ago. The style of his work is perhaps too diffufe; but we mult regard it, on the whole, as inftructive, entertaining and practical, and at the fame time enriched by a vaziety of quotations from ancient and modern authors.

Art.

Art. 51. Leap-year Lectures. A Collection of Difcourfes delivered on the 29th of February, to a felect Society. Committed to the Prefs because improper for the Pulpit. 12me. 2 s. Bla

don.

1773.

This waggish Lecturer fcruples not to divert himself with ladicroufly commenting on the following texts:-Gen. xxxviii. 23.Deut. xxiii. 1.-Ruth iii. 14.—Job xxxi. 1.-Prov. xxx. 18, 19.We need not be furprized at his making so free with the Patriarchs and Wife Men of old, fince even the REVIEWERS are not fafe from the lafh of his wicked wit.

Art. 52. The true State of the Chriftian Church; and the Error of thofe Doctrines that do not acknowledge Chrift Jefus to be the Lord Jehovah. In a fhort Paraphrafe on the xxivth, and part of the xxvth chapter of St. Matthew. Wherein is clearly fhewn what is meant by the Appearance of the Sign of the Son of Man, the Lord's coming, and the End; and that it is not the Deltruction of Jerufalem, and the outward Temple; nor yet the End of this material World. Addreffed to all Profeffors of Chrift; especially. to those called Diffenters and Methodists. By a Member of the Church. 8vo. I s. 6d. Lewis, &c. 1773.

Whatever may be thought of the orthodoxy of this Writer from one part of the above title, he is in truth a bitter enemy to fome doctrines which país under that denomination. The notions of three perfons in the Godhead, of fatisfaction, and of imputed righteouf nefs, &c. he confiders as very erroneous, and fraught with great evils. At the fame time, he appears to be himself very enthufiatic, myftical, and whimfical. His performance is to be ranked with the works of Jacob Behmen or Baron Swedenborg, or perhaps it agrees with the fpirit of early Quakerifm. We are perfuaded our Readers, in general, will have no great objection to our difmifling it without any farther particulars.

Art. 53. Religion not the Magiftrate's Province; or Arguments from Reafon and Scripture, againft the civil Magiftrate's Claim of Authority in the Province of Religion, illuftrated by the Writings of fundry eminent Conformifts. Occafioned by a late Application to Parliament, and humbly fubmitted to the Confideration of the Liberal and Ingenuous in Britain. By Philotheorus. 8vo. I s. 6d. Robinfon. 1773.

Some very pertinent reflections are here made on the magistrate's province in matters of religion, the rights of confcience and private judgment, and on the claim of the diffenters to a full and legal to leration, &c. The Author expreffes his fentiments with great freedom, and appears to be a fincere friend to liberty, civil and religious.

SERMONS.

1. Affociations against the established Church indefenfible-Preached before the University of Oxford, February 24, 1772. By John Allen, M. A. Vice-Principal of Magdalene-Hall. 8vo. 6d. Rivington.

The Writer of this difcourfe is of the number of thofe good and dutiful Churchmen who are entirely fatisfied with established doc

trines and forms; and he is fo well acquainted with the language of fcripture, as to be able to apply, to the condemnation of the perfons whom he oppofes, a number of paffages from the facred Authors, which were originally used with a very different meaning.

II. Clerical Subscription no Grievance; or, the Doctrines of the Church of England proved to be the Doctrines of Christ.-At the annual Vifitation of the Clergy of the Archdeaconry of Exeter, held at Columpton, May 12, 1772. By Auguftus Toplady, A. B. Vicar of Broad-Hembury. 8vo. 6d. Gurney. 1773.

This Sermon, as ufual in Mr. Toplady's compofitions, is a fpirited, but, at the fame time, a virulent declamation against his antagonifts. The note, in which the Author endeavours to prove that heaven is a place, as well as a ftate, is ingenious, and, in our opinion, fatisfactory.

III. The indifpenfable Duty of contending for the Faith, which was once delivered to the Saints.-Before the Univerfity of Cambridge, June 29, 1766, being Commencement Sunday. By Thomas Edwards, D. D. late Fellow of Clare-Hall. 8vo. 6 d. Beecroft, &c.

1773.

A fhort, but excellent difcourfe, worthy of Dr. Edwards, whofe learned and valuable writings we have had frequent reafon to mention with approbation.

IV. Before the Rev. Stotherd Abdy, Archdeacon of Effex, at Rumford, May 21, 1772. By William Salibary, B. D. Rector of Moreton and Little Halingbury in Effex. 8vo. 6 d. Bathurst. The Sermon here prefented to the public is of a very different kind from thofe which are ufually delivered before Affemblies of clergymen; but it is not the lefs ufeful, or the lefs feafonable, on that account. Mr. Salisbury hath displayed, in a judicious and ftriking manner, the bad effects of great opulence upon weak and inconfiderate men. In difcuffing the meaning of his text, which is taken from Prov. xiv. 24, he has afforded an inftance of the advan. tage which arifes from a critical Acquaintance with the original language of fcripture.

Our Author has adopted fome pedantic modes of fpelling, which we hope he will reject in any future publication.

V. Preached at Romfey, Hants, Sept. 10, 1772, on Occafion of the Settlement of the Rev. Mr. Thomas Porter with the Congregation of Proteftant Diffenters there. By Thomas Toller.

6 d. Buckland, &c.

12mo.

The fubject of this difcourfe is taken from St. Luke, ch. xiii. 30, and the design of it is to fhew that mankind will be treated hereafter according to the improvement they make of their refpective moral and religious advantages. This truth is fet, by Mr. Toller, in a clear and ftriking point of view.

VI. At St. Thomas's, Jan. 1, 1773, for the Benefit of the Charity. Children in Gravel-lane, Southwark. By Thomas Toller. 6d, Buckland, &c.

The remainder of the Sermons in our next.

COR