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ing phlegm: With a particular direction of the manner of tak ing it for the cure of confumptions, &c. 8vo. Is. 6d. Cooper, Another link: vid the medical articles in our catalogue for May laft,

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL.

Art. 14. The Review of a free Inquiry into the Nature and Origin of Evil. 12mo. Is. 6d. Flexney.

The author of this Review is an advocate for doctrines that have been long established, and are generally believed. The introduction. of moral evil into the world, he fays, is not imputable to God, nor the neceffary confequence of human nature, but entirely owing to man's voluntary abufe of that high yet dangerous trust repofed in him, his freedom of will and action. From the beginning of time, we are told, God forefaw the ill use that man would make of this gift of free will, and therefore prepared a remedy; the redemption of mankind by the promised Seed which fhould bruife the ferpent's head.

Here, continues our author, the rational enquirer may fop in his fearch after the origin of evil. In endeavouring to investigate it more nicely, he will only be apt to lose himself in the endless mazes of error and perplexity. And after all his laborious re⚫ fearches into the nature and origin of moral evil; instead of finding a more fatisfactory account of it, than the fcriptures will help us to, he may be in danger of catching the very worlt, and mother of all ⚫evils, feepticifm.'

As for what our reviewer has faid in answer to the author of the Free Enquiry, it is unneceffary to give any particular account of it, as he only pleads for commonly received opinions, and has advanced nothing new in fupport of them.

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Art. 15. Obfervations on Mr. Fleming's Survey, &c. In which are confidered the following fubjects; the nature of faith, the use of reafon, myfteries, the unity of God, the pre-exiflence of Chrift, the mediation of Christ, the nature of Chrift's redemption, the nature of man, the powers in man to improve and debafe his nature, the foundation of immortality. By Peter Peckard, A. M. 8vo. 2s. Davis,

Our readers, in general, are fufficiently acquainted with the difpute between Mr. Peckard and Mr. Fleming, which, like all other difputes of this kind, the longer it is carried on, becomes the more difagreeable to the reader. Charges of mifreprefentation, want of candor, &c. and frequent repetitions of the fame thing, are what, principally, fill up the numerous volumes of theological contention. the difputants, indeed, generally spend their strength in the first on fet, and though they frequently renew their attacks, yet they feldom do much execution.- In regard to the controverfy about an intermediate late, it is undoubtedly to be determined by fcripture, and he who confiders with candor and impartiality what the facred writers

have

+ Written by the new. Mr shepherd, aucher of the Nuptials.

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have faid concerning it, have little occafion to confult either Mr. Peckard or Mr. Fleming.

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Art. 16. The whole Speech which was delivered to the Reverend Clergy of the great City of London, on Tuesday the 8th of May, 1759; being the day appointed for their anniversary meeting at Sion-college. By John Free, D. D. Sir John Leman's Lecturer at St. Mary Hill in London. 8vo. 6d. Scott.

Doctor Free has not done with the Methodists yet. He now wants the Convocation to meet, and take them in hand. We fancy, however, his cooler brethren will remain aloof, and leave him to battle it out with these formidable fchifmatics, as he deems them; and to deal with them, as well as he can, by himself. His quarrel with this people is, it feems, now become perfonal, and more particular than heretofore. For (as we are informed by his Remonftrance to the Bishop of Winchester, prefixed to this Speech) he was, on Sunday the 9th of April laft, while he was exhorting his audience to love one another, moft violently befet by the Methodists; by whom, as the Doctor here affirms, he was, from the time of naming the text, to ⚫ the end of the fermon, in continual and most imminent danger of being murdered.'- -This was certainly a moft unchriftian way of going to work with the good Doctor; and, doubtless, the reader would be glad to know what was their particular provocation at that time. The matter was this. On the day above-mentioned, the noted Mr. Romaine was to have preached a charity fermon at the aforefaid church, but was prevented by the church warden, who refused to admit this erratic luminary into the pulpit; which Dr. Free at the fame time readily entered, as being his proper fphere. Provoked at this difappointment, the lambs of the Moor-fields flock immediately forgot their meek and peaceful natures, and, in fhort, behaved like very wolves to the poor Doctor, against whom they fet up a most abominable vociferation, in which they continued all the time of his preaching and even went so far as to spit at him, after he had quitted the pulpit.

tantæne animis cœleftibus ire!

At the parish church of St. Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey, where we are told the Doctor is Lecturer.

Art. 17. Non-refidence inexcufable; or the Monitor admonished: in a letter to Dr. Free, on the occafion of his elaborate harangue, delivered to the London clergy, &c. By the Reverend Abfalom Hurley, A. B. late of Baliol College, Oxford, and now Curate of Kentish Town, Middlefex. 4to. 4 d. Fuller.

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The Monitor is here admonished, becaufe Dr. Free's fpeech, mentioned in the foregoing article, was first published in that periodical paper. This curate of Kentish-town mentions the Reverend Mr. Rne as his truly pious, tho' fomewhat too peaceful and patient friend;' and Mr. Jo-s as his much valued, and still more intimage friend: from whence our readers may perceive that Dr. Free, whom the letter-writer does not accuse of being too peaceful and patient, ftands no chance for the honour of being admitted into the alleft hare of Mr. Hurley's friendship. On the contrary, this

gentle

gentleman has, by this pamphlet, declared open war with the Doc tor, and has commenced hoftilities by attacking him on the fide of his non-refidence at his vicarage of Eaft-Coer in Somersetshire. The Bishop of London's late charge (See Review, vol. xx. p. 480.) has furnished our author with fuch arguments as he may imagine the Doctor will not attempt to answer: and herein Mr. Hurley may poffibly be faid to have acted maliciously, and taken his adverfary at an unfair advantage: but as it is not contrary to the laws of war to turn the enemy's cannon against themfelves, we fuppofe this auxiliary to the Reverend Meff. R- ne and Jo-s will hold himself intirely ex

cufable.

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SERMONS continued: See our last Appendix, published this month.

1. Fidei Fundamentum Ratio: Concio ad Clerum habita in Templo Beatæ Mariæ apud Academicos Cantabrigienfes, Julii 4, 1759, pro gradu doctoratus in facra theologia. A Radulpho Heathcote, S. T. P. 4to. 6d. T. Payne.

2. Preached in the Portuguese Jews Synagogue, on Friday the fixteenth day of February, 1759, being the day appointed by authority for a general faft: By R. Mofes Cohen de Azevedo. Translated from the original Spanish by the author. 4to. 1s. Whitridge.

Manifefts the great and grateful loyalty of the Jews to our present mild and falutary government, under which they enjoy fo much fecurity and happiness: the long continuance of which, we, as chriftians, fincerely and charitably wish them, from generation to generation.

3. Preaching the Gofel a more effectual method of falvation, than human wisdom and philofophy. At the ordination of the Reverend Mr. Thomas Wright, at Lewin's-Mead, Briftol, May 31, 1759. By Samuel Chandler, D. D. together with the questions propofed by the Reverend Mr. William Richards; and the answers returned. To which is added, the Charge, delivered by the Reverend. Mr. Thomas Amory. 8vo. 1 s. Waugh, &c.

4. At the ordination of the Reverend Mr Richard Winter, June 14, 1759; at New Court, near Lincoln's-Inn Fields. By John Olding. Together with an introductory difcourfe, by Thomas Hall, Mr. Winter's confeffion of faith; a difcourfe upon impofition of hands, by Thomas Bradbury; and the exhortation, by John Conder. 8vo. Is. Buckland, &c.

5. The weakness and wickedness of being righteous over-much, the folly of affected wisdom, and the ruin consequent upon both, asserted before the univerfity of Oxford, at St. Mary's, May 13, 1759. By John Allen, M. A. Vice-principal of Magdalen Hail. 8vo. 6d. Rivington, Withers, &c.

6. The particular Excellence and true State of the Bath Infirmary. Preached at the Abbey Church, April 22, 1759. By R. Olive, A. M. Vicar of Burnham. To which is added, a fort account of the ftate of the hofpital, May 1, 1759. 4to. 6d. Hende fon.

The Remainder of the Sermons in our next

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For AUGUST, 1759,

De l'Efprit; or, Efays on the Mind, and its feveral Faculties, By Helvetius. Concluded; fee Review for June.

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N our Author's third effay, he confines himself closer to philofophical argument, than in either of the preceding. He founds his reafoning alfo on principles lefs vague and indeterminate; endeavouring to fhew how far the primary faculties of the mind, or actuating powers of human nature, operate, in modelling our various paffions, and in the production of most of the remarkable phænomena in the moral world.

The business of this curious effay is, in general, to investigate whether genius ought to be confidered as a natural gift, or an effect of education?'

In order to folve this problem, enquiry is made, whether nature has endowed men with an equal ability of mind, or whether she has favoured fome more than others: alfo, how far men, whofe organs of fenfe are perfect, have in themselves the power of acquiring fublimity of ideas.

In the prosecution of this enquiry, our Author firft lays it down as certain, that if nature has given to different men unequal difpofitions of mind, it is by enduing fome, preferably to others, with a little more delicacy of the fenfes, extent of memory, and capacity of attention.' He then goes on to confider, what influence the difference nature may made in this respect among us, has on the mind of man; conVOL. XXI. cluding,

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cluding, on the whole, that nature has endowed all men, (except idiots and fuch as have but imperfect organs) with an equal capacity to acquire the most lofty ideas*, as well as the greatest ftrength and profundity of judgment. What then, it may be asked, is really the cause of that inequality obfervable in the intellects and genius of individuals? It lies not, fays our Author, in any phyfical incapacity in human nature; but in our different incitements to application: not in any difference in the natural delicacy of our fenfes, the extent of our memory, or our capacity of attention; but in the different degrees of influence in the motives that excite us to apply the faculties of the mind to contemplation and science. Now, the ftrength of refolution, wherewith we are determined to this application, will vary, fays he, according to the circumftances of education, country, family, acquaintance, &c. It is admitted, however, that the paffions operate with different force on different minds; and that though fometimes trivial and adventitious circumflances direct to the object of purfuit, yet it is owing to the different influence of the paffions, that we outftrip or fall fhort of each other in the race.

Such is our Author's manner of reasoning, in the effay before us; the general conclufion from which is, that all men well organized, have the natural power of acquiring the most exalted ideas; and that the difference of genius obfervable in them, depends on the various circumstances in which they are placed, and the different education they receive.

In illuftrating the feveral arguments leading to this conclufion, Mr. Helvetius has difplayed an extenfive knowlege of mankind, and a very intimate acquaintance with the workings of the human heart. Our Readers will, we doubt not, perufe the following extracts with peculiar pleafure: the first relating to the origin of the paffions in general, and the other to that abfurd one of avarice in particular; by which they may judge whether we have over-rated the genius or fagacity of our Author.

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On the Origin of the Paffions.

In order to arrive at this knowlege, we muft diftinguifh the paffions into two kinds: thofe immediately given us by nature; and those we owe to the establishment of fociety. And to know which of these paffions has produced the other, let us tranfport ourselves in idea to the first ages of the world, and we fhall there fee that nature, by hunger, thirst, heat, and cold, informed man of his wants, and added a variety of

Hautes dies.

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