Art. 29. The poetical Works of Sir John Davies; confifting of his Poem on the Immortality of the Soul; the Hymns of Aftrea; and Orchestra, a Poem on Dancing: All published from a corrected Gopy formerly in the Poffeffion of W. Thompfon, of Queen's Coll. Oxon. 12mo. 3 s. Davies. 1773. Sir John Davies, the cotemporary of Shakespeare, was one of the best philofophical poets of that age; and, as the present Editor, ia his account of Sir John's life, observes, his poem on the Immortality of the Soul, will make his name live as long as our language: we regret with Mr. Thompson, that his poem on Dancing was left unfinished. RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL. Art. 30. A Diğertation on the 17th Article of the Church of England: Wherein the Sentiments of the Compilers, and other contemporary Reformers, on the Subject of the divine Decrees, are fully deduced from their own Writings. To which is fubjoined, a fhort Tract, afcertaining the Reign and Time in which the Royal Declaration before the 39 Articles was first published, 8vo. Bathurst. 1773. If it were confiftent with genuine Chriftianity and Proteftantifm to impofe human articles in matters of religion, it must be acknow ledged that fuch articles ought to be confined to the most effential and important points of doctrine, and that they should be expreffed as plainly and clearly as poflible. It must be a great fault if their fignification be intricate or dubious, and, especially, if it requires much invefligation and pains to determine the fenfe of the original compilers.. This, however, is the cafe with regard to the articles of the Church of England, and particularly those of them which relate to the, fubjects in debate between the Calvinifts and the Arminians. Thefe articles have been generally understood to be Calviniftical; it has been ftrongly and ably contended that they are fo; and at first view they have much of that appearance. Nevertheless, the matter hath been contefted with fome fhew of reason, and with no fmail degree of learning. No one hath fupported the Arminian fide of the queftion more advantageously or fuccessfully than the prefent Writer. He fates, in the first place, the opinions of Calvin on the fubject of predeftination; and next proceeds to fhew that the 17th Article gives no countenance to fuch opinions; which he endeavours to evince from the defign and history of the Article, and from the fentiments of Archbishop Cranmer, its principal compiler. After this the Author produces, from the Reformatio Legum, the chapter de Prædeftinatione; then recites the teflimonies of the Bishops Hooper and Latimer against the rigid doctrine of the Gofpeilers; and, last of al, confiders the difference of opinion, with regard to predeftination, which arofe between the divines who were imprifoned by Queen Mary. Upon the whole, he seems to have evinced, that the Article in queftion was not fo Calvinifical, in its original fignification, as hath lately been imagined. However, it may, per haps, be doubted, whether an abfolute trefs ought to be laid on the paffages brought from Cranmers works; because other pages might be produced from the fame writer, which are conformable to fome of the most abfurd and rigid principles of Calvin. This, indeed, hath already been done, in a very friking manner, by the author of the Free Thoughts on the Subject of a farther Reforma tion of the Church of England.' The worthy first reformers, in that comparative infancy of reli gious knowledge, were not always confiftent; and molt of them had undoubtedly a ftrong tincture of the Auguftinian notions. But, whatever their peculiar fentiments were, it is hard that pofterity should be bound by their determinations. It is hard, too, that so much pains must be taken, in order to give the Articles a tolerable meaning. Would not learned men be far better employed in ufing their utmost endeavours to get free from an obligation to fubfcribe doctrines either unimportant in themfelves, or ambiguoully expreffed, or which, after all, cannot be fubfcribed by many valuable perfons, confiftently with a due regard to truth and integrity? It is clearly fhewn, in the fhort tract fubjoined, that the royal declaration, prefixed to the 39 Articles, was first published by authority of King Charles the First, in 1628. Art. 31. Inflitutes of Ecclefiaftical and Civil Polity. By the Rev. John Wood, B. D. Rector of Cadleigh, in Devonshire, and formerly of Sidney-Suffex College, Cambridge. 8vo. 2s. Law. 1773. This performance contains a ftrange mixture of fenfe and folly, of liberality and narrow mindedness, though with a most unhappy preponderancy on the fide of abfurdity and bigotry. The Author defines an inftitute to be any propofition which is immediately aflented to by the common-fenfe and reafon of mankind; and yet he has numbered among his inftitutes not only many things which are of a very difputable nature, but even many things which are abfurd to the last degree. He has adopted, likewife, the most ridiculous peculiarities with regard to his orthography. His innovations in this refpect go far beyond the ufual line of pedantry and affectation, and are as difcreditable to his understanding, as they are to his taite. The best thing to be wished for Mr. Wood's reputation is, that this piece may be configned to oblivion as foon as poible; and, without pretending to à fpirit of divination, we may venture to say, that it will not be long lived.. The Author fpeaks of a future work, which is to be called Inftitutes of Ecclefiaftical Polity;' but, unless he fhould be totally regenerated in his literary capacity, we would, in friendship, advife him to lay afide a dengn by which either his own pocket, or that of his book feller, muit fuffer, in proportion to the bulk and expence of his intended publication. Art. 32. Sentiments for Free Devotion, addrefied to the Diffenters, especially to the Diffenting Advocates for Liturgies. Small 8vo. 1 s. Buckland. We cannot too warmly recommend the worthy aim and purpose of this little tract; although the ftyle in which it is written is tomewhat peculiar, and not always pleating. Its dengn is to excite and encourage a fpirit of improvement in our public forms of religious worship; in which laudable view the Writer feeris to accord with the ingenious author of Effays on public Worship, Patriotifm, and Projects of Reformation." See Review, March, p. 22 SERMON S., SERMON S. 1. On Chriftian Duty, in patiently and cheerfully waiting at all Times for Salvation. By Jofeph Greenhill, A. M. Rector of Eaft-Horfley and Eaft-Clandon, in Surry. 4to. 6d. Johnson. 1773. However well intended this difcourfe may be, we cannot fay much in favour of its ftyle and compofition: nor can we geefs what thould have induced the Author to fend it to the prefs, except it might be on account of fome farcafms intended for the prefent day (and far too juft) when he speaks of the last times. The Preacher, as a pious and benevolent man, may edify a plain country congregation; but unless his performances excel this before us, it will be wifer to withhold them from the view of the public in general. 11. Reflections on the Inequality of religious Difpenfations.-Preached before the University of Cambridge, March 21. 1773. By Jcha Mainwaring, B. D. Fellow of St. John's College. 4to. I 8. Beecroft, &c. The text of this fermon is, of a truth I perceive that God is no re Specter of perfons, but in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteoufnefs, fhall be accepted of him: i. e..obferves the Author, fhall have the fame offer of falvation and happiness through the gospel, which I am now commanded to make to this Roman (the centurion.) After which general remark he proceeds to apply the words to the fate of nature, and the Jewish economy, as well as the Chriftian difpenfation. The difcourfe manifests the ingenuity of the Preacher: it is fenfible, candid, and pious; but the Author has not entered very deeply into the fubject. III. The Cleansing Fountain opened. On the Death of Mrs. Benfted. . By John Macgowan. 6d. Keith. IV. Compaion to Infants enforced.-At the Parish Church of St. Martin's in the Fields, April 27, 1773. Before the Presidents and Guardians of the Difpenfary for the Infant Poor. By William Dodd, LL. D. Chaplain in Ördinary to his Majefty. 1s. Leacroft. V. Before the Governors of the Magdalen Hofpital, April 29, 1773. By John Clarke Hubbard, M. A. Published at the Request of the Corporation. 1.5. Flexney. : VI. Before the Congregation of Proteftant Diffenters at Mill-Hill Chapel in Leeds, May 16, 1773. By Jofeph Prielley, LL. D. F. R. S. on Occafion of his refigning his paftoral Office among them. δνο. 15. Johnfon. We are obliged to defer the Continuation of our account of Sir John Dalrymple's Memoirs, begun in the Review for May, to oer next: in which it will certainly appear. +++ Many poetical and other Catalogue Articles, are omitted, this Month, for want of room. The next Month's Catalogue will be much more numerous. La Dunciade, Poëme, &c.-The Dunciad, a Poem in Ten Cantos. 8vo. 2 Vols. Paris. 1772. TH HE firft edition of this French Dunciad made its appearance in 1764, in three cantes. It is now greatly enlarged; and the fecond volume, which contains Memoirs for the Hiftory of French Literature, from the Time of Francis the First to the prefent, is entirely new. In regard to the poem, as many of our Readers must be fuppofed to be already acquainted with it, we fhall only obferve, for the fake of those who have not seen it, that the Author, (M. Paliflot) appears to have entered upon fo invidious a tafk with the moft laudable views, viz. to vindicate the rights of genius, the honour of literature, and the principles of good tafte; to check the prefumption, correct the petulance, and expofe the futility of a fet of Beaux E prits, who arrogantly decry fome of the most celebrated writers of the age of Lewis the Fourteenth, and particularly BOILEAU. Those who are acquainted with the prefent ftate of literature in France will readily allow that fuch a work as the Dunciad was become almost indifpenfibly neceflary, and will not fail to applaud the Author's courage in the undertaking, and his abilities in the execution. His fatire, though inferior to that of his great predeceffor in vigour and poignancy, is more delicate and liberal: we find no fuch lines in his poem as the following: F'appelle un chat un chat, et Rollet un Fripon. REV. App. Vol. xlviii. N n M. M. Paliffot has adopted a different manner from that of Boileau; and, in order to foften the severity of fatire, has en deavoured to join to the aufterity of this fpecies of compofition the gaiety of Ariofto; mais cette gaïete, to ufe his own words, ne tombe que fur les travers de l'efprit, jamais fur les mœurs. La Manie du bel Esprit is finely expofed in his poem, which is replete with ftrokes of humour, pleafantry, delicate raillery, and with ftrong painting. As to the Memoirs, they contain many curious literary anecdotes, and will afford much entertainment to fuch Readers as are converfant with the works of the fashionable writers of the prefent times. In a letter to the Rev. Mr. Vernes of Geneva, prefixed to the fecond volume, our Author gives his reasons for undertaking fuch a work. I was defirous, fays he, of giving a fpecimen of the manner in which celebrated writers fhould be characterized in dictionaries. I have confulted all the dictionaries that have been lately published, and have received no information from any of them excepting that of Bayle. The writers that are mentioned in them are, for the most part, either famous men, or great men, or illuftrious authors, &c. this is all I am told in vague and general terms, without giving me the leaft idea of their literary phyfiognomy, or of the character of their genius.-I learn indeed how often a writer was married, how many children he had, who were his generous protectors, and who his enemies; but while I am overwhelmed with fuch trifling circumstances, I remain ignorant of what I wanted to know.. As to living authors, his principal motive, he tells us, for mentioning them, was the pleasure of doing juftice to fuch of his cotemporaries as have, by their writings, fupported the glory of their country. He had another motive, too, and that was the defire of giving an impartial character of those writers whose vanity was hurt by the Dunciad: and here, he fays, he has almost always facrificed the propenfity he is supposed to have to fatire, to the defire of being useful. In regard to the Author's impartiality, though it certainly deferves great commendation, upon the whole, yet we are forry to obferve that there are feveral exceptions, particularly in the characters of Diderot, Marmontel, Duclos, and fome other writers of distinguished abilities. It is extremely difficult indeed, if not abfolutely impoffible, for frail mortals to diveft themselves altogether of prejudice and refentment in giving a character of those by whom they have, or imagine they have, been ill treated. M. Paliffot has been engaged in fome literary quarrels, occafioned by his Comédie des Philofophes, and it is natural to suppose that his pen may, in fome measure, and in fome inftances, have been directed by his refentment. Be this however as it may, he ap pears, |