litary operations, and which conftitute the chief excellence of every well regulated army.

ASTROLOGY!

Art. 52. The New Aftrology; or the Art of predialing and foretelling future Events by the Afpects, &c. of the Heavenly Bodies. By C. Heydon, Jun. Aftro-Philo. 12mo. 2s. 6d. Kearsley. 1786. Art. 53. An Aftrological Catechifm, wherein the Principles of Aftrology are fully demonftrated by way of Question and Anfwer. 12mo. 1s. Kearfley. 1786.

Solomon fays "there is nothing new under the fun." We, by long experience, have determined never to be furprized at any thing. It muft however be acknowledged, that thefe two publications are very unfit characteristics of the country and age in which they have made their appearance.

THEOLOGY, &c.

Art. 54. The Pilgrim's Progrefs from this World to that which is to come. By John Bunyan. A new Edition, divided into Chapters. To which are added, Explanatory and Practical Notes. By G. Burder, Minifter of the Gofpel at Coventry. 12mo. 3s. 6d.

bound. Matthews. 1786.

As Bunyan's Pilgrim is certainly a masterpiece in its kind, we are glad to fee an edition of it well printed on good paper, and adornedwith neat copper-plates. The Editor hath prefixed the Life of the Author, written, like the former accounts, in a train perfectly congenial with honeft John's own picus fpirit, and godly mode of expreffion; and the fame may be faid of Mr. Burder's large explanatory and practical notes :' an extract from one of which may be given as a fpecimen :

It is fomewhat furprising that the Pilgrim's Progress should be univerfally esteemed, fecing that it condemns the far greater part of thofe who read it. To inftance in this chapter only: Does not Ignorance speak the language of moft nominal Chriftians? Do we not hear them lay with him, "They hope well, for their hearts are always full of good motions-they have very good hearts, and they believe in Chrift for justification?" But let their condition be truly examined, and it will appear," that they never had one good or right thought of themfeives in their lives-that their faith is falfe, fantastical, and deceitful; and that they do not trust in Christ, but in themselves." How many deceive their own fouls in this matter? They fay they believe in Chrift, and truft in him, though they never faw their loft condition, and confequently their need of him; are unacquainted with the nature of his righteoufnefs, and ridicule the idea of its imputation to the believer. Their dependence is on what they do, or (which is nearly the fame) on what is done in them. They defpife Chriftian experience as enthufiafm. and think that trufting to the righteoufnefs of Chrift, leads to licentioufnefs. Such is the language both of the parlour and the pulpit in this day; and yet, though it is here fo justly expofed, every body admires the Pilgrim's Progrefs! How fad, yet how true is the reflection of Hopeful,

Alas! there are abundance in every town in this condition, whole families, yea, whole freets, and that of profefied Chriftians too!”

The

The Lord leffen their number daily, by the light of his glorious gofpel.'

From the above quotation, the reader will be apt to infer that our Editor is a Methodift; nor can we think otherwife, though he writes in a better flyle than fome of that perfuafion. But whatever be the religious denomination under which he would be claffed, his expofitions of Bunyan's allegories will ftrongly recommend his edition of the Pilgrim's Progrefs to the Antinomians, and rigid Calvinists in general. They are given at the end of every chapter*, fomewhat in the manner of Doddridge's improvement of Scripture paffages, in his Family Expofitor.

Art. 55. An Efay on the Goodness of God, as manifefted in the Miffion of Jefus Christ. Published in purfuance of the Will of the late Mr. Norris, as having gained the Annual Prize inftituted by him in the University of Cambridge. By Edward Pearfon, A. M. Fellow of Sydney-Suflex College. 8vo. 1s. Rivington. 1786.

It is not, perhaps, to be expected, that, in an exercife of this kind, much new light fhould be caft upon a trite fubject. It is a fufficient recommendation of the piece to fay, that it is written with a degree of good fenfe, perfpicuity, and elegance, which entitle the Author to a higher reward than the Norrifian Prize.

Art. 55. Gospel Experiences, and Memoirs of the late pious and reverend Gabriel D'Anville, V. D. M. including feveral Anecdotes of fome of the most celebrated Preachers in the Metropolis: with a concluding Addrefs to the Junior Clergy, and more especially to the Students of Oxford and Cambridge. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Bew. 1736.

Gabriel D'Anville takes his name from his father's profeffionwhich was nothing more nor lefs than that of a blacksmith; and any other name in the fhop would have fuited the character equally well; for it is forged out of the loweft ore, and hammered into form by the moft bungling Cyclops of the trade.

This lamelt and moft infignificant of all Vulcan's offspring becomes a methodist, and of courfe (according to his biographer) a hypocrite; for hypocrify and methodifm are, it feems, only two different words for the fame thing. It is no part of our bufinefs to enquire whether this convertibility of terms be right or wrong. The Author's acquaintance with the fubject is fo fuperior to our own, that we must give him credit for the truth of his affertions. He appears to have been in the fecret; but what prompted him to disclofe it to the world, is a point which we leave to be decided by those whom it concerns.

It concerns not us whether Gabriel d'Anville's picture be drawn from the life; or whether it be the caricature of imagination, where fpleen held the pencil, and impiety fupplied the colours. Let thofe determine the truth or falfehood of it, who think it worth their while to write or to talk of Gospel experiences, whether in earnest or in jeft; for Stulti in contraria current !

Mr. Burder has divided the two parts of the Pilgrim into 35 chapters. A third part, ufually printed in the common editions, does not appear in this volume. We fuppofe it was not written by Bunyan; and if fo, Mr. Burder was right in omitting it.

Art.

Art. 57. Commentaries and Effays: published by the Society for promoting the Knowledge of the Scriptures. No. IV. 8vo. 2s. and No V. Is. Johnfon. 1786.

These numbers contain a numerous collection of critical notes upon detached paffages of the Old Teftament,' which will very well repay the attentive perufal of the biblical fcholar: An Inquiry into the Evidence which points out Chrift to have been only a Creature of the Human Race, invefted with extraordinary Powers from God, as it arifes from his own Declarations, and thofe of the Apostles and Evangelifts; in which the main arguments for the Socinian Syftem are brought into a narrow compafs, and clearly ftated: Obfervations on Part of Daniel's Prophecy;'-and a gleaning of remarks on Mr. Travis's Attempt to revive the exploded Text of 1 John v. 7,

RELIGIOUS.

Art. 58. An Elegy on the Nature and Glory of the Gospel of Jefus Chrift, the Nature and Confequences of Spiritual Blindness, and of Divine. Illumination. By Jofeph Bellamy, D.D. New England. 12mo. 15. 6d. Mathews.

Difputes are endlefs: this little volume relates to fome religious, controverfies which have prevailed in America. It opposes Antinomian tenets, and is itself Calviniftical. The book will probably be acceptable to fome readers, particularly to fuch as are acquainted with, or interested in, the circumftances of the debate to which it refers. We obferve that the writer feems in one place to fuppofe that virtue and goodness appear odious to a wicked, or, as he terms it, an unregenerate man; as Jefus Chrift appeared to the Pharifees, and others of the Jews: but of this matter a different account may be given. It is often found that bad men approve and respect that virtue which they do not imitate: the decifion of the Poet seems therefore more probable and exact;

Video meliora, proboque, deteriora fequor.'

Art. 59. A Manual for African Slaves. By the Rev. James Ramfay,. M. A. 12mo. 3d. Longman. 1787.

This manual is compiled chiefly from Dr. Watts's Catechifm, and Bishop Wilfon's Family Prayers. Thole who are employed in giving instruction to negroes, can beft determine, from experience, how far a performance of this kind can be useful. From the Author's intimate knowledge of the fituation of the wretched Africans enflayed in the West Indies, we are led to fuppofe that he has fuited it to their capacities and circumstances.

CORRESPONDENCE.

We are obliged to Difcipulus for his obfervations on the two verbs to lie and to lay. After reconfidering the fubject, we are the more fatisfied with the definition of lie, which we gave in our Review for March, p. 258. As to the verb to lay, it frequently fignifies to place; nor is our definition contradictory to this fignification.

ERRATUM in our laft.

Page 311, 1. 10, for fettled,' r. fifted.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For JUNE, 1787.

ART. I. The Hiftory of Athens politically and philofophically confidered, with the View to an Inveftigation of the immediate Caufes of Elevation and of Decline, operative in a free and commercial State. By William Young, Efq. *. 4to. 15s. Boards. Robfon. 1786.

17

T has been justly remarked, that different perfons, and even the fame perfon at different periods of life, will read the fame book with very different kinds and degrees of information, according to the direction of their former inquiries, or the particular object of their prefent attention. There is so much meaning and truth in this obfervation when applied to the fubject of history, that we can never conclude the inftruction contained in its more brilliant pages, how frequently foever they may have been read and commented upon, to be entirely exhaufted.

The rife, progrefs, and decline of the Grecian States, and particularly of Athens, is one of the moft fertile topics that can invite the attention of the philofopher; and, notwithstanding all that has hitherto been written concerning them, there is doubtlefs ftill room for ufeful fpeculation refpecting their religion, policy, and manners.

Mr. Young feems to have been very fenfible of the value of the Grecian history, as a subject of philofophical difcuffion; and has induftriously brought together many particulars of the Athenian State, inftructive both to the ftatefman and the moralift, and deduced from them many important maxims and obfervations. He appears to have undertaken and prosecuted his defign with manly views and a liberal spirit. But we are forry to ob ferve two effential defects in the execution; the first, that the materials of the work are not fo perfpicuously arranged, as to bring into one connected view the feveral documents of political and moral wisdom: the fecond, that the philofophical part of the work is almoft univerfally expreffed in language which has

* For Mr. Young's former work, entitled, The Spirit of Athens, fee Rev. vol. Ivi.

VOL. LXXVI.

I i

been

been ftiffened, by laborious compofition, into enigmatical ob. fcurity. One good effect of this mode of writing is, that it obliges the reader to think; in return, however, the writer fhould be careful to repay his reader's pains with a large portion of fterling fenfe. How far this is done in the prefent work, a few extracts will fhew.

Almoft every chapter opens with a train of general reflections, fuggefted by, or in fome fort connected with its fubject. From there we shall select the remarks with which Mr. Young introduces his account of the first Persian war:

Under certain points of view, and in a certain degree, it is a juft axiom of Lord Verulam's, That man is, but what he knows: the extent then of his knowledge, is that of his excellence, to the attainment of which opportunities muft coincide with the capacity thereof; and it is not alone the primary circumstances of birth, the peculiar rareness of the fpirits, or quality of their channels, or what elfe to be acted upon by climate, or other natural contingency, that can fingly elevate the human character; but a further and more refined combination of influences is requifite; of influences, originating not from the material, but mental world, not from the temperature of foil or air, or even temperament of parents; but from the pre-eftablished order of fociety, the prefcriptive objects of its ingenuity, ftudy, emulation, and esteem.

The advantages of country in a phyfical fenfe, it will readily be granted, are not alone equivalent to thofe of country under the political purport of the word: it yet remains for confideration, how far thefe may agree? whether the vertical fans, which, according to many ancient and modern fophifts, are fo favourable to a finer texture of the brain, are not oppreffive to its further ftrength and energy? whether quickness is not incompatible with ftability? and, as man is not fo much excellent from the gift of poffeffing, as from the faculty of acquiring, whether the retentive and progreffive powers incident to thofe born under lefs brilliant fkies, give not, in the courfe of time and things, a national fuperiority, made and ftrengthened by gradual and improved accumulation, which the more vivacious children of the fun muft ever look up to in despair? the most etherial genius born to the community, finding no previous common flock of method for its direction, or of knowledge for its bafis, no previous grounds of acquirement whereon to build or improve fyftems for the ufe of, and to further again the progrefs of pofterity? Avoiding a too long and digreffive train of reasoning, I leave it to the reader's ingenuity to feek, and fupply thefe queries with, the proper folution; to deduce levity from fancy, and ignorance from inaction; to mark the paffions born of indolence ftifling reason in its birth; and then, to account-why Eattern genius hath gleamed in metaphor, rather than fhone in poem ;-why fancied, rather than thought in fcience; why originated, and not perfected menial trades, and even the finer arts;-grafting the first fhoots of knowledge, why left it to others to mature the fruit ;-and (touching home to the fubject) to develope why the people of Afia, dreading the recondite theories and active practice of republicanifm, have ever fought, and do ftill

feek