been by no means the mot cruel, or the moft unnatural of ins

crimes.

Art. 6. Some Letters from the Marshal Duke de Belleifle to the Maribal de Contades; with Extracts from a few of the Marfeal de Contades's Letters to the MarfLal Duke de Belleife, in 1758. 40. 15. Owen, the Gazette Printer.

In our Review for November last, we gave fome account of a feries of thefe Letters, the trophies of our happy victory over the French at the Battle of Minden. The Letters contained in the prefent publication, are of fubfequent date to the former; and much of the fame import.

POLITICAL.

Art. 7. Some Confiderations on the prefent Methods used for the Relief and Employment of the Poor. In a Letter to a Member of Parliament. 4to. Is. Waugh.

The many schemes which have been lately offered for the better fettlement and relief of the Poor, may be numbered among the various inftances of public benevolence, which do honour to the prefent age. Their miferable condition in this free and opulent kingdom, has long fince remained a difgrace to our Police. While fome vile impoftors have abused Charity, and raised contributions by coun terfeiting calamities, other wretched objects, of lefs invention, or more honefty, have fuffered all the extremities of indigence and diftrefs, often aggravated by the inhumanity of Parish Officers. To fee our fellow creatures hunted from parish to parish, like noxious animals, for no other crime than that of beggary, must fill every compaffionate breast with the deepest concern.

To remedy thefe inconveniences, is the profeffed design of the prefent treatife and it must be owned, that the Author enters upon the examination of the Poor Laws, now in being, with great method and judgment. The first confideration is, (fays he) whether the principles on which they are built, are true or falfe; for if they shall be found falfe in their principles, they are incapable of being amended, fo as to be made ufeful; and the only remedy is framing ⚫ a new Law on true principles.'

That

He then gives it as his opinion, that the principles are falfe on which the Poor Laws are founded: particularly the first principleThat it is reasonable that every place in this kingdom fhould main"tain and employ its own Poor." In the end, he proposes, all the Poor be relieved where they want, and employed where they may be most useful; that the fund to fupport them, be as equal as may be, national; not local or parochial; that the care of the • Poor be entrusted to the Nobility and Gentry of the several counties, and that they fhould form one great body politic to regulate the affairs of the whole kingdom; that the Poor be divided into ⚫ proper claffes, and their feveral wants fupplied in fuch manner as ⚫ is most convenient for each feveral county, either in proper Hofpi

tals

⚫tals or Work-houses, or relief to be given them at their own houses, ⚫ in fuch manner as may best suit their neceffities.'

In a fecond Letter, the Writer propofes, that the Hofpitals, Workhouses, &c. which are at prefent fubfifting, fhould be ingrafted into one general plan for the relief of the Poor, and the several members united into one corporate body, to adopt Sir Jofiah Child's name, and be ftiled FATHERS OF THE POOR.

Upon the whole, though our Author's propofals are too general to be of immediate utility, and fome of them, perhaps, abfolutely inexpedient, yet they may ferve as a foundation for a well regulated fyftem.

Art. 8. Confiderations on the Laws relating to the Poor. By the Author of Confiderations on feveral Propofals for the better Maintenance of the Poor. 4to. Is. 4to. Is. Davis.

This Writer, who differs in opinion from the foregoing one, is against the abolition of the old fyftem. He hints, that he has had fome share of experience in the operation of the Poor Laws, and, under this confidence, he makes fome very free ftrictures on the Refolutions of the Houfe of Commons of May 1759. We cannot fay, however, that he discovers any great decency, or good fenfe, in his comment. On the contrary, he animadverts on the fecond Refolution of the House of Commons, in the following familiar ftrain.

If this Refolution,' fays he, was a little more intelligible, it would be a great deal easier either to agree with it, or contradict it.' Had this Writer been commenting on an individual of his own rank, this would not have been the moft genteel mode of animadverfion; but to criticize in fuch forward terms upon the Legiflature, is something more than rude. Where there is fo much petulance, there is feldom any great share of judgment; as is exemplified in our Author: for his reflections are fuch as might be expected from the foregoing fpecimen; arrogant, trifling, and fuperficial. In fhort, whatever exceptions may be made to the Refolutions of the House of Commons, we will venture to fay, that there is little or no weight in this Writer's objections.

Art. 9. The Number of Alchoufes fhewn to be extremely pernicious to the Public. In a Letter to a Member of Parliament. By the V. of S. in Kent. 8vo. 6d. Baldwin.

An attempt to reftrain the number of Alehoufes, is extremely laudable; as the multiplicity of them is acknowleged, by the Statute Law, to be a grievance, and, as fuch, is fufficiently felt in fociety. The Author, however, of this well-intended pamphlet, has not enumerated half the inconveniencies attending the too great number of thefe houses: he contents himself with obferving, in general, that they are nufances; and concludes, that the reftraining them is an obvious and natural expedient towards fpeedily checking and leffening the charge of the Poor, fo long and fo much complained of by the whole nation. He has likewife very induftriously extracted the Statute Law

for

for the regulation of fech boules, and for the prevention of tippling and drunkennes.

Hebas, however, cmitted to chiarve, that for drunkenne's a man may be pallthed by the Ecclefiaftical Court, as well as by Juices of the Peace, according to the Statutes. We could with, that in thefe cafes, there was lefs allbretionary power lodged in the Juices; and we hope, that a reformation will speedily be fet on foot, as it is extremely wanting, about town especially for in many parts, parti cularly in clia, every hole, comparatively speaking, is an Ale Loute.

Art. 10. Reafins for a general Peace. Addrefed to the Legifiatare. By a private Gentleman. 8vo. 6d. Kearly.

This Gentleman's reafons for a Peace, are drawn from the hamone confideration, that war is deftructive to the human species. In this proportion we heartily concur with him; tho' we can neither recommend him as a Writer nor as a Politician.

RELIGIO u s.

Art. 11. The Doctrine and Pratice of Chritianity, incenfiflent with the Happiness of Mankind. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Kearfly.

An imitation of an ironical pamphlet, entitled, The Sure Guide of Hell: fee Review, Vol II. p. 370. The Author makes the Devil write the pamphlet, in the form of a Letter to his Grace of Canterbury, whom Satan politely addreffes, in the character of a Brother Archbishop. The fcope of this curious Epiftle, is to remonftrate against the doctrines and practice of Chriftianity, as repugnant to the interests of the diabolical Court: and to which his infernal Highness oppofes (and strongly recommends) the writings of Hobbs, Mandeville, Bolinbroke, and other Free-thinkers. He expreffes much averfion to the Church of England, as his worst enemy; at the fame time fignifying his approbation of The Mohammedan Scheme, on account of its fenfuality; and of Popery, for the fake of its cruelty. The Defign of the work, in the main, is not amifs; but the execution is very indifferent. The Sure Garde, before mentioned, was not a maiterly compofition, and this is ftill inferior. Art. 12. A Difcourfe upon the Intermediate State. Shewing, that all righteous Souls, or true Believers, are immediately, upon patting off their Bodies, with Chrift in Joy and Felicity. Ad on the other hand, that the Sadducean, and uncharitable Doctrine of the Souls of all Men, dying, or perishing with their Bedies, is inconfiftent with all Religion, both natural and revealed; and tends as much to the Destruction of Souls, as mjt Errors the Grand Deceiver ever instilled into the Hearts of Men, and that no Man can propagate it, unless blinded aua ruled by Satan. 8vo. 6d. Fox.

This little piece contains nothing that can recommend it to the perufal of any judicious Reader.

3

Article

Art. 13. A new Office of Baptifm, formed by the Canon of the New Teftament. 8vo. Is. Henderson.

This new Office of Baptifm was firft compofed (as we are told in the preface) for the Author's particular ufe, in the difcharge of his paftoral Duty; and now appears in print, as an Effay toward a better + Adminiftration and Ufe of an Inflitution of the Chriftian Religion.

The Author takes it for granted, that adults are the only fubjects of Chriftian Baptifm; and immerfion the only mode of it.--On this plan the office is formed; and begins with a few fentences of Scripture, and an introductory Prayer, of the length of seven octavo pages. It is then divided [after referring to certain proper Pfalms and Leffons] into the following thirteen fections, viz.

1. Exhortation to the Perfun to be baptized.-2. The Ground, and Authority, of Chrift's Inflitution of Bapt fm.-3. What the Scriptures in general Teach us to understand by Baptifm into the Name of a Feron. -4. What we are to understand by Baptifm into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft.-5. The moral Ufe and Influence of Baptifm. -6. Qualifications demanded in Scripture of all Perfons to whom Chrif tian Baptifm may be lawfully, and ought in justice to be adminiftered 7. The Juflification of the Minister of Baptifm.-3. The Vow of the Perfon to be baptized. [This fection is constructed in the following manner.]

-

N. N. Standing, or on his knees, anfwers in the affirma. tive the following interrog tories'

Minifter. Will you declare, in the Church and prefence of God, who cannot be deceived, and will not be mocked, that you believe with all your heart, that Jefus Chrift is the Son of God? N. N. I believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ is the Son ' of God.

Minifter. Is it your affectionate reverence for the authority and inftitution of Jefus Chrift that induces you, at this time, to offer yourself to be baptized into the profeffion of his Holy Name and • Religion?

N. N. Yes.

Minifter. Are you refolved to renounce every known and prefumptuous fin; to obey the precepts, and follow the example of your Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, and, in humble dependance on God, to adorn the profeffion of Chriftianity you this day put on, by maintaining, to the end of your life, a converfation becoming the Gofpel?"

Minifter. In confequence of this voluntary, public, and folemn profeffion of your Chriftian Faith, penitence, and holy refolutions, it is become my duty to put your Body under Water, and to raise it

• Mr. Richard Harrison, of Taunton.

If the Author thinks his own Office better than thofe made ufe of in the established Church, we are apt to imagine that many will be of a contrary opinion; efpecially fuch as look upon the Service in the Liturgy as rather too long, at prefent. What then will their opinion be, of an Office of Baptifm only, spun out to the enormous length of fixty four pages, befides Pfalms and Leffons ?

Kr

again,

again, in token of your declared "Faith in the Burial and Refur "rection of Jefus Chrift, and of your duty and determination, as "his profeffed Difciple, to die unto fin, and to walk in newness of "life."

9. Hynm before the Adminiftration of Baptifm.

$10. The Prayer before Boptim.—[In length, ten pages.] 11. The Aminiftration.

Minifter.

N. B. The Minifer, together with the Perfon to be bap tized, being about to go down into the Water, the fullowing recollection may be fitly used.

Do you perfift in your good and pious refolution of being buried in Water, in token of your firm belief in the Burial ⚫ and Resurrection of Jefus Christ; and of your duty and full purpofe of heart, as his Difciple, to die unto fin, and to walk in newness • of life?

N. N. Yes.

Minifter. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft, I baptize thee.'

$12. The Thanksgiving Hymn after Baptism.

513. The Prayer after Baptifm.-[In length, eleven pages.]

The following paragraphs, extracted from the conclufion of this laft prayer, may ferve as a fpecimen of Mr. Harrifon's abilities as a

devotional writer.

O God, the author of Grace and Glory, and the giver of Life and Happiness to thy Creatures, from whofe original Influence proceedeth every good and perfect Gift; favourably regard our humble and fervent Interceffions in behalf of thy Servant, who, has this day voluntarily taken upon himself the holy profeffion of the Chriftian Religion." Never may thy Servant repent of this folemn Vow, by which he has now bound himfelf to deny ungodlinefs, and all thofe worldly lufts that would debafe and ruin his precious Soul; nor let him account any of thy Commandments grievous, which are conducive to his highest improvement and happinefs, and in keeping of which he will find conftant peace and fatisfaction, with an exceeding great and eternal reward.'—' As a ⚫ dear and dutiful Son of God, may he imitate more and more the moral perfections and example of his heavenly Father, keeping • in habitual remembrance the most beneficent and amiable pattern of the Author and Finisher of his Faith, to direct his steps in every flation, and to every intance of his Christian Duty. The Covenant of the Lord his God, into which thy Servant has this day voluntary entered, may he henceforth ftedfaftly and religiously perform, looking with affurance for thy favour and acceptance, through Jefus Chrift our Lord, and reaping all thofe improvements and benefits which are fo gracioufly annexed in the promises of the Gofpel, to the duc obiervance of the divine ordinances.'

Without giving our own fentiments upon the fubject of this Eflay, (which would fwell the article too much) we are obliged, as public Reviewers, to remark, that the file of it, in general, is not the mot pleasing: many paffages are luft:-and the whole appears to be greatly laboured-Faults of this fort are the more apparent, and more liable to cenfure, as the fubject is of the devotional kind, in which the language ought to be peculiarly cafy and flowing.

5

INDEX,