ART. 20. A Trip to Calais, a Medley Maritime Sketch, being the poetical profaical Production of Timothy Timbertoe, Efq. 15. 6d.

Bew.

ART. 21. The Trial of Reginald Tucker, for the wilful Murder of Martha bis Wife, at the Affizes held at Wells for the County of Somerfet, on Friday the 25th of August, 1775, before the Honorable Sir John Burland, Knt. one of the Barons of his Majesty's Court of Exchequer. Taken in Short-Hand by Jofeph Gurney, 15. Cruttwell, Sherborne-Kearsley, London.

ART. 22. Obfervations on the Difeafes in long Voyages, to bot Countries, and particularly on thofe which prevail in the EaftIndies. By Dr. John Clark. 6s. Wilfon.

ART. 23. A Treatise on Foreft Trees. Containing, not only the best Methods of their Culture hitherto practifed, but a Variety of new and ufeful Difcoveries, the Refult of many repeated Experiments. As alfo, plain Directions for removing most of the valuable Kinds of Foreft Trees, to the Height of thirty Feet and upwards, with certain Succefs: and, on the fame Principle, (with as certain Success) for tranfplanting Hedges of fundry Kinds, which will refift Cattle. To which are added, Directions for the Difpofition, Planting, and Culture of Hedges, by obferving which, they will be bandfomer and ftronger Fences in five Years, than they now ufually are in ten. By William Boutcher. 15s. Murray. ART. 24. The Trial of Edward Ely, for the Murder of Charles Bignell, in the Kingdom of Sweden, Lieutenant of the Worcester, Capt. Boyle, one of the Fleet in the Baltic, in the year 1720: nearly fimilar to that which attended the Duel of Capt. Roche and Lieut. Ferguson, in which the latter was killed. 6d. Bell. ART. 25. An Effay on the Uterine Hæmorrhage, which precedes the Delivery of the full-grown Fœtus. Illustrated with Cafes. By Edward Rigby. 2s. 6d. Johnfon.

By Richard

ART. 20. A plain and circumftantial Account of the Tranfactions between Capt. Roche, and Lieut. Ferguson, from their first Meeting to the Death of Licut. Ferguson. 2s. 6d. Allen. ART, 27. A Sermon, preached before the University of Oxford, at St. Mary's, on Act Sunday, July 9, 1775. Nicoll, D. D. 6d. Fletcher. ART. 28. The Want of Labourers in the Gospel Harveft, confidered and improved: in a Sermon preached July 30, 1775, on Occafion of the much lamented Death of the reverend and learned Caleb Ahworth, D. D. Tutor of the Diffenting Academy at Daventry in Northamptonshire. To which is added, A Poftcript, containing fome Hints, with a View to the Intereft of Religion among the Diffenters. By Samuel Palmer. 6d. Buckland. ART. 29. The Duty of standing fast in our Spiritual and Temporal Liberties; a Sermon, preached in Christ-Church, July 7, 1775

before

before the First Battalion of the City and Liberties of Philadelphia. By the Rev. Jacob Duche, M. A. 6d. Philadelphia printed; London reprinted. Evans, Strand.

ART. 30. The Doctrine of abfolute Submiffion difcuffed; or the natural Right claimed by fome Diffenters to difmifs their Minifters at Pleafure, expofed as a Practice produced by Principles of unreftrained Liberty, though contrary to the Dictates of Reafon and Revelation. By R. Robinson, D. D. Is. Dilly.

ART. 31. The Hufband's Refentment; or, The History of Lady Manchester. A Novel. 2 vol. 6s. Lowndes.

ART. 32. A new compendious Grammar of the Greek Tongue. 2s, Murray.

ART. 33. Sermons preached before the University of Oxford. To which are added, Three Charges to the Clergy of the Archdeaconry of Worcester. By John Tottie, D. D. 5s. Fletcher.

CORRESPONDENCE.

TO THE LONDON REVIEWERS.

GENTLEMEN,

October 20, 1775

In confequence of my engagement to the public, ftated in my let ter of Auguit laft, which you obligingly inferted in your review of that month, I fhould have fooner troubled you with my farther thoughts, had I not been rather inclined to wait for the publication of a letter, you then told us had been fent you, and should immediately appear. It hath appeared; but in its perufal I was greatly difappointed. Cer tainly Dr. P. was not its author. The letter is indeed long and laboured; but fo far from throwing light on the fubject, it rather feems to have added cloud to cloud. I hope the author's defign was mɔre liberal and meritorious. It appears, Caufa patrocinio non bona pejor erit. Should no answer to it foon appear, I fhall think myself obliged not to be filent. The caufe of truth is interefting to every man. You, gentlemen, fhow your attachment to it, by affording fo proper a vehicle to philofophical debate and enquiry.-Your Barnstaple cor: refpondent threw his fquib fmartly enough; but, what is rather difpleafing, feems too much delighted with its little crackling found. Had he been but the leaft acquainted with the various productions, that have even within thefe five years appeared, in different parts of Europe, from the greatest metaphyficians, on the prefent fubject in debate, he would not, I think, have termed my declaration either vain or prefumptuous. I pretend to no more in the way of demonftration, than they do; nor am I afhamed humbly to copy their fentiments and follow their fteps. If Mr. J. B. really imagines I have never maturely confidered the difficulties he propofes in fo triumphant a tone, he must either think me very little veried in metaphyfical difquititions indeed, or elfe vainly flatter himself he hath hit upon fome

thing

thing new and before unheard of. But in fact, his objections have been fo much bandied about by every fiatterer in materialism, that to repeat them is no very great proof of extenfive reading or deep penetration" I engaged to demonftrate by pure philofophy, that the foul of man is naturally indeftructible: and that the whole man as a moral agent, muft furvive the grave, if there be a God, on whom he depends."-My propofition is composed of two parts: the difcuffion of the first will fuffice at prefent. I declare then the foul of man to be naturally indestructible. That Being is fuch, which contains not any internal principle of destruction, and which moreover lies out of the reach of diffolution from every external agent of a finite order. This is applicable to the human foul moft undoubtedly, if it be, as is generally fuppofed, a fubftance effentially fimple and uncompounded, Deftruction can only arise from a decompofition of parts, and where no fuch parts exift, eternal duration muft naturally follow. I must now show that man contains within himself a fubftance, thus fimple and uncom pounded. Either man is fo conftituted, as to be made up of two prin. ciples widely different, such as matter and foul; or he is purely of fome uniform compofition, whofe every operation will be a mechanical ef fect, the refult of a peculiar organized fyftem, and fubject to the com mou laws of matter.--Spiritualism, though far more rational than mate rialijm, is foreign from the prefent queftion.-It hath been falfely faid, that the notion of placing in man a substance diftinct from matter arifes from our ignorance of the extent, and variety of the mechanical powers. We know not indeed how far they may extend within a certain sphere; but if I can affign certain facts in the human economy not only inexplicable by every mechanical procefs, but alfo repugnant to the natural properties of matter, the victory will be mine. I declare then fuch to be all fenfations, perceptions, and ideas, and whatsrer elfe in man is termed a mental operarion. That no organical fyem, however perfect, is capable of generating fuch affections I do not maintain, because I think all matter effentially paffive and inert; but merely because in every fentiment matter, as fuch, is neceffarily multipliable and compounded; and therefore unfufceptible of every power, mode or action, in itfelf one and uncompounded. Of what nature, think you, is that confcious reflection, now refident in your mind, which attends your every idea and thought? Is it one and fimple, or mixed and manifold? Where in the brain will you place that judg ment, you form, in weighing the analogy, the argument and difas greement of ideas? If the brain be the only feat of thought, each thought must be as compound and divifible as the brain; it must be diffeminated through its various cells, and no where be found, what it really is, one and fimple. Every modification neceffarily partici pates of the nature of its fubject. Suppofe yourself at the fame inftant to feel the two oppofite fenfations of heat and cold; of this, when it happens, you are confcious: where can be fixed this confcious fentiment? Neither in the fibres of heat or cold feparately, as is evident: therefore in fome central point of unity, which is neither one nor the other, but common to both. To elucidate our point fill more, let us fuppofe the human brain to be compofed of eight elements; the num

ber

ber is indifferent; on this fuppofition, which is certainly admiffible; ift. either the whole brain will be confcious of its existence in fuch manner, as that its component parts be unconfcious of the fame; which is a palpable abfurdity; fince the whole brain is only a collection of parts, and can itself poffefs nothing, but what is derived from them or 2d. of the eight elements each will be fenfible of its own existence, whilft the whole brain remains infenfible: but then the brain itfelf, the organic fyftem in question, will be void of all conscious reflection: or 3d. that internal feeling we are in fearch of, must be the refult, the fum total of each individual fentiment; which is equally abfurd: for each element is alone confcious of itself, it knows not the feelings of its kindred atoms. We fhall have then as many diftin&t fentiments, as elements; that is, the eight elements will be feverally confcious of their individual exiftence; nothing in the whole compofitum will be able to fay, I am compofed of eight elements: it is that exist in a compounded and organic ftate: therefore the whole brain will not be confcious of its own existence; and confequently is incapable of all reflection and thought.-On this reafoning alone, I will reft the whole matter in debate.-It follows then, that if thought cannot originate from a compounded fubftance, it is only to be difcovered in unity and fimplicity of being; fuch a being can be the only fource of mental affections and operations. In man therefore we muit feek for fomething diftinct from matter, and that fomething may be called his foul: confequently man's foul is immaterial, and therefore naturally indefructible, QÉ. D.-I am,

Gentlemen,

Your obliged and humble fervant,

J. Bn.

P. S. I would have minutely anfwered the Barnstaple Philofopher's queries, had I not with great reafon apprehended too free an intrufion on your time and patience. He may however be eafily fatisfied by turning to any work written on the fubject: I mean, as far fatisfied, as a reasonable man can defire in a queftion fo deeply intricate and myfterious.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We are not ignorant that the belief of the doctrine of a future ftate is a fubject of the utmost importance, as well to individuals in particular, as to fociety in general. We are alfo far from fuppofing that, by proper difcution, it might not be established on the most incontro vertible footing. As that difcuffion, however, will depend on fuch investigation as the generality of readers are unqualified to relish, or to judge of, we must beg leave to fet bounds to the correfpondence we are honoured with on that fubje&t. In doing this, we fhall be under the neceflity of omitting many letters of equal merit with those we infert; giving place, where there is no other motive of preference, to fuch gentlemen as firft entered the lifts. We hope this will be accepted as an apology for deferring the favours of Mr. Willan.-T. P.

-Mr.

Mr. Humphreys - Philofophia-Dr. S.-Mr. Harwood-J. S.→→

A. M. &c.

The gentleman who advifes us for the fake of promoting the fale of our work, to conceal our political and religious fentiments, mistakes the defign of this publication; which was not fet on foot, nor is car ried on, like a bookfeller's job, with a view to pecuniary profit. He is alfo as egregioufly mistaken, if he thinks that, because we may be of one way of thinking, we fhall not give fair play to the fentiments of writers, who are of another. As we conceive the cause of truth cannot fuffer by fair difcuffion, we fhall be ever ready to place in as fair a light the arguments in favour of what we disapprove as thofe in fupport of our own opinions; being fo wedded to no opinion but that we fhould divorce it immediately and efpoufe another, on due conviction. What the fame correfpondent, fays about respect to great perfans and high places, we beg leave alfo to difregard. As Reviewers we have to do with meafures, not men, and of course, have no other refpect to perfon or place than our opinion of merit will justify: we shall therefore, always deliver that opinion with the fame fincerity and candour, as we shall difplay the opinions of others, though contradictory to our own; flattering ourselves that none of our readers can take offence at our avowing a different opinion, while we admit, that, if in the fame fituation and circumftances, we fhould moit probably be of theirs.

We are much obliged by the friendly advice and good opinion of Candour-J. P.-L. P.-Wormwood-Mr. Dillon and others, whose fentiments, however, differ fo widely from each other, that it is impoffible we fhould adopt, though we hope to profit by, them all.

Mr. J. J. does us honour in his minute attention to our labours;he does us fome injuftice, nevertheless, in fuppofing we borrow from Other Reviewers. Extracts from the fame books must neceffarily be copied verbatim.-Correction fhould have noticed, that an account of the "capital books lately criticifed in the Monthly Review, of which no notice, he fays, was taken in ours," has been given in the London Review five or fix months ago. If a few lefs confiderable articles, therefore, fometimes fucceed the accounts given of them in the other Reviews, we conceive the neceffity of it arifing from the very nature of our undertaking, a fufficient apology.

Dr. Maty is obliged to Mr. A. M. for the copy of his valuable tract on the Trinity; but, as it appears to have been published upwards of two years ago, the Reviewers cannot, with any propriety, enter into a particular critique of it now. A general character of it will, of courfe, be given in the London Catalogue, or Introductory Volume to the Review, fhortly to be published.

Mr. Seton's fecond letter to Dr. Priestley in our next.

Mr. Strutton's application to us would be with more propriety made to fome of the Magazines.