fay, it fhould be required of Chriftian Preachers, of the authorized Teachers of morality, to profefs their belief in fuch doctrines as thefe! Every puny Infidel, every Mite of Scepticifm fees and laughs at the Abfurdity of them, pours out all his flores of wit, ridicule,. and contempt on the Clergy, raves against Priests and their craft, calls religion a cheat, riots in unrighteoufnefs, and plunges into all the horrors of Infidelity. The friends of religion fee this and weep; its enemies exult and triumph, and our Ecclefiaftical Governors look on, and do nothing. O tempora! O mores !

As to the queftion, Does Chriftianity, does the church, does fociety derive no advantage, no benefit from the Subfcription of our Clergy to the Thirty-nine Articles?' the writer anfwers, That, after the most attentive confideration of the fubject he is capable of, he cannot poffibly perceive a fingle advantage that either is, or can be derived from it, whether it be conddered in a religious, moral, or political view. That it cannot be productive of any real benefit, he fhews in a fatisfactory manner; and then comes to what politicians will pay the most regard to, the temper and spirit of the times. An extract or two, from this part of the letter, will be pleasing to many of our readers.

But it is faid, that the times are not ripe for reformation, that it would be dangerous to attempt it, that it would be ftrenuously oppofed by the people, that it could not poffibly be effected without breaking in upon the public peace in a word, that a reformation is, at prefent, impracticable. This notion is propagated, with great diligence, by a certain order of men; with what views, and for what purposes, it requires no great difcernment to perceive; but it has not the leaft fhadow of reafon to fupport it. Were an attempt to be made to deftroy our ecclefiaftical confitution, to introduce a new mode of worship, to take away the ufe of their Bibles, or Prayer-Books from the people, to eftablish the doctrine of tranfubftantiation, &c. by act of Parliament, there would be a very just and reafonable foundation for fuch an alarm; but to fuppofe that the people would make any oppofition to the Petitioning Clergy, that Wilkes, Junius, or the whole Bill of Rights could poflibly procure a Petition or Remonftrance from any county in the kingdom, in fupport of the thirty-nine Articles, were they fo foolish as to attempt it, is fo abfurd and ridiculous a fuppofition, that it fearce deferves a ferious refutation. What, in the name of common fenfe, have the Laity to do with the thirty-nine Articles? Every Layman in the kingdom is very well fatisfied with believing as much as he can, and leaves it to the Clergy to believe more, without envying them fo diftinguished a privilege. When the affair of Subfcription to Articles of Faith, or the cafe of the Petitioning Clergy is mentioned in any company of Phyûcians, Lawyers, Gentlemen of the Army or Navy, Merchants, Shopkeepers, Artificers, or any promifcuous Company, the language of almost every man is,-Give the Clergy good Livings, and they'll fubfcribe any thing. There is not a Layman in a Thoufand who has ever read the thirty nine Articles; and of those who have read them, it may fafely be afirmed that there is not one in ten thousand who either understands them, or gives himself any concern about them.'.

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The Clergy themfelves, when the fubject of reformation is out of fight, complain loudly and frequently, of the great coldnefs and indifference that prevails among all ranks of men in matters of reli gion; and it must be acknowledged, that there is too much reafon for the complaint. This being the cafe, what ground is there to imagine, that the public peace can poffibly be interrupted, by relieving the Petitioning Clergy in regard to the Thirty-nine Articles ? -Public disturbances for the fake of the Athanafian Creed, the doctrine of original fin, Predeftination, &c.! The very fuppofition is enough to make the graveit Philofopher in the kingdom fmile. Civil commotions, in fuch an age as the prefent, and among fuch a people, on account of the Articles of our Church, would be fuch a Phænomenon in the moral and political world, my Lord, as I am convinced is not to be paralleled in any hiftory ancient or modern.

But though the Gentlemen of the prefent age are unfortunately very cold and indifferent in matters of religion, yet many of the Clergy tell us, and their teftimony must be admitted in this cafe, that all the fenfible Women in the kingdom, especially the old ones, nay and many of the young ones too, are great friends to the thirtynine Articles, and particularly fond of the Athanafian Creed; to fuch a degree, indeed, that if this Creed were to be discarded, and the Articles altered, there is great reafon to fear that many of them would never enter a Church again, but shut themselves up in their clofets on the days appointed for public worship, and amufe themselves, in the best manner they could, with the Prophets and Apoftles; or, with what would probably be still more to their Tafte, Bishop Beveridge, and the other reverend Devotionalifts, who love to expatiate on the Trinity, and the reft of the incomprehenfible myfteries of religion. This would be a serious affair, indeed! for if a reformation fhould take place, our Churches might be in great danger of being totally deferted, and the most dreadful confequences might enfue. In cafe of fuch a calamity, however, the wifdom of Government would, no doubt, take care to fecure the public tranquillity: the most respectful attention would be paid to the PETITIONS and REMONSTANCES of the good Ladies, and if any notice fhould be taken of them from the throne, as there is every reason to think there would, their cafe would be looked upon as of equal importance, at least, with that of the HORNED CATTLE; though this feems to be a growing evil, and likely to baffle the united skill of all the Cow-Doctors in the kingdom.'

The Author, having paid his respects to the Ladies, proceeds to the Clergy of different ranks and orders, whofe peculiar characters he has happily difcriminated;—but we must refer our readers to the work itfelf, which, being concife, lively, and entertaining, will, perhaps, be perufed by many perfons, who have no tafte for more elaborate and more folemn difquifitions.

K. Art. 13. The Reasonableness of requiring Subscription to Articles of Religion from Perfons to be admitted to boly Orders, or a Cure of Souls, vindicated, in a Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Diocefe of Oxford, in the Year 1771. By Thomas Randolph, D. D. Prefident of C. C. C. Lady Margaret's Profeffor of Divinity, and Arch-Deacon of Oxford. Svo. od. Rivington. REV. Jan. 1772.

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When we fay that Dr. Randolph is as able an advocate for subfcription as those who have gone before him upon the fame fubject, we pay no compliment to the caufe in which he is engaged; for we think him equally unfuccefsful. He has alleged no arguments but what have been urged again and again, and which, in our opinion, have been unanswerably refuted. On this account, we are forry that the Dr.'s charge met with fo united an approbation from the clergy of the diocefe of Oxford, among whom, we know, are many very refpectable characters; but it may naturally enough be supposed, that they have not given a minute and critical attention to the arguments which have been used on both fides in this controverfy. Dr. Randolph contends that the thirty-nine Articles ought to be subfcribed in the fenfe of the impofers. This notion will accord very well with his extreme zeal for the Athanafian doctrines, but it does not coincide with the latitude which he feems willing to allow in other refpects. It is, indeed, with concern, and almoft with furprize, that we perceive fuch numbers of the Arminian clergy to be eager for a continuance of fubfcription to the prefent Articles, though thefe Articles muft eternally expofe them to infuperable difficulties, and afford great occafion of triumph to the Methodists. Art. 14. A Letter to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, on the Subject of the intended Petition to Parliament, for Relief in the Matter of Subfcription to the Thirty-nine Articles, and the Liturgy, of the Church of England. By a Clergyman of the Church of England. Evo. 6 d. Johnfon.

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This letter is written in favour of the petitioning clergy, and hath fuggefted feveral confiderations to the Archbishop of Canterbury, which, from the well-known candour of his Grace, and the moderation of his principles, will, it is to be hoped, meet with due regard. K. Art. 15. A fummary View of the Laws relating to Subscriptions, &c. with Remarks, humbly offered to the Confideration of the British Parliament. 8vo. 6d. Wilkie. 1772.

As Subfcriptions are, at prefent, an object of public attention, a fummary view of the laws relating to them is very seasonable and ufeful; and the Author hath added a number of judicious remarks, all of them calculated to promote the defirable scheme of the Petitioning Clergy.

K. Art. 16. Queries, recommended to the Confideration of the Public, with regard to the Thirty nine Articles. ¿vo. 1 S. Johnfon. 1772.

The abfurd and falfe dorines contained in feveral of the 39 Articles, cannot be better expofed than in this little tract, which, by a feries of perfpicuous and well-digefted questions, is fitted to strike conviction on every ingenuous and rational mind. The Author fays, that he cannot think an apology neceffary for fo free a dif cuffion of Articles of human invention, and bringing them to the teft of a strict comparison with the word of God; which Articles, upon the most ferious confideration, he has been determined, many years ago, never again to fubfcribe, and he heartily laments his, fubfcription to them, though an act done in his younger days, at a time when he juged it not unlawful.

The

The writer hath fubjoined a collection of texts, taken out of the Old and New Teftament, which it may be proper for clergymen to read publicly, and to declare their refolution of adhering to them, when they affume the charge of a Chriftian congregation. To this he thinks may be added, a folemn protest against the grofs currup tions of popery, and all impofitions upon confcience, not warranted by the express declarations of Chrift and his apoftles. K. Art. 17. Letters to the Reverend Doctor Benjamin Dawson, occafioned by a late Publication of his, intitled, Free Thoughts on the Subjects of a farther Reformation of the Church of England, with Remarks.' To which is prefixed, An Address to both Houses of Parliament. By Philalethes. 8vo. I S. Bladon. Dr. Prieftly, fpeaking of Dr. Balguy, faid, I have fo good an opinion of Dr. Balguy's good fenfe,-as to think it a thousand to one, but he himself is an unbeliever in many of the 39 Articles ;' and he has, likewife, thrown out the following queftion, Who among the clergy, that read and think at all, are fuppofed to believe one third of the 39 Articles?'

Thefe two paffages gave great offence to Dr. Dawfon, and drew from him fome fevere ftrictures, in a late publication; which ftrictures have provoked the wrath of the prefent writer, who is a warm and fpirited advocate for Dr. Prieftly. The Author appears to us to have fucceeded in proving, that the fuggeftions complained of by Dr. Dawson are actually to be met with in the Free Thoughts, and even in the Dr.'s own writings, though expreffed in different language. In other refpects, Philalethes hath thewn himself a notable Controverfialist; but we can by no means compliment him upon his candour, or his knowledge of human nature. What are we to think of his acquaintance with the world, when he calls upon the houfes of parliament to, down with all human etablishments? His obfervations, in his 33d page, concerning the fact related of a prelate and a clergyman, -are unmanly, and illiberal. In fhort, he is one of thofe zealous, we had almoft faid, furious Diffenters, who may poffibly pleafe the perfons who are already as warmly devoted to the fentiment embraced by him as he is himself; but, we are perfuaded, his method of writing will never gain him a fingle profelyte.

The Petitioning Clergy are engaged in fo good a caufe, that we fhould be forry to have them interrupted in the courfe of their undertaking. As, on this account, we would not have them go out of their way to attack the Diffenters, fo, on the other hand, we could with the Diffenters to avoid reproaching them for having fubfcribed the 39 Articles, and to confider them in the true light wherein they appear, which is, that of generous advocates for religious liberty. We are old enough to remember the time when Clarke, Hoadley, Sykes, and other eminent men, in the established church, who, at the beginning of the prefent century, ftood up in the caufe of truth, were spoken of in the highett terms of refpest, by the diffenting clergy. The fame regard is due to the gentlemen who now exert themselves for the rights of confcience; and the fame regard will, we doubt not, be paid them, by the candid and liberal part of the Diffenters.

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Art. 18. A fort Account of the wonderful Converfion to Chriftianity of Solomon Duitfch, lately a learned Rabbin and Teacher of feveral Synagogues. Extracted from the Original published in the Dutch Language by bimfelf, and improved with a Preface and Remarks, by the Rev. Mr. Burgmann, Minifter of the Proteftant Lutheran Chapel in the Savoy. Now firft tranflated into English. Izmo. 2 s. s. Wilkie.'

Mr. Rabbin Duitfch's converfion is rightly ftyled Wonderful, as it proceeded, originally, not from reafon and argument, but from certain agonies and diftreffes both of mind and body*, which, indeed, with fome enthufiafts, are denominated Convictions: They are also called workings of the Spirit, (till more prefumptuously) God's dealings, &c. On the whole, it may be queftioned whether Mr. Burgmann will gain much reputation by introducing into this country, a tranflation of a visionary performance; which can only be acceptable among certain of our Sectaries, who may think it fomewhat in their own way.

Art. 19. The Preacher's Directory; or a Series of Subjects proper for public Difcourfes, with texts under each Head: To which is added a Supplement, containing felect Paffages from the Apocrypha. 4to. os. Johnfon. 1771.

Though no author's name appears in the title-page of this work, we find the preface fubfcribed by that of William Enfield, who is already known to the world by fome ingenious and ufeful publications. We must clafs the prefent compilement under the fame denomination; as it may prove peculiarly ferviceable to perfons in the minifterial office: though others may find benefit from it in converfing with the fubjects of fcripture. There may poffibly be a fmall objection or two raised against the writer's method: fome may think that, as his work is folely confined to the declarations of holy writ, a fufficient regard is hardly paid, in his plan, to thofe, not merely distinguishing, but effential and important peculiarities to which its other parts bear an immediate regard. Thus, when our Author introduces virtue in the general, they may wish that it fhould not have appeared as if it was feparated from its true foundation in piety, or from the proper character to be given by us, as believers in the New Teftament, of every good difpofition and action, as Chrifian virtues. He does, however, pay a particular attention, as indeed he ought, to the Chriftian fcheme; and notwithstanding any fuch objection as that mentioned above, the performance is, upon the whole, executed with care and judgment, and will, we doubt not, be very acceptable to thofe for whom it was defigned

We fhall extend this article no farther than by inferting the paffage with which the Author concludes his preface.

To fhew (fays he) how far preaching is capable of an agreeable and useful variety, and to afford those who compofe fermons fome afiftance in the choice of fubjects and texts, is the defign of the following work. If it be executed with any degree of accuracy, I

*Whether there was any degree of mental derangement in the cafe, feems to be a matter of fome doubt.