ARRATIVE of the Proceedings of REFLECTIONS on A Short Hiflory of NASMITH'S Edition of the Itineraries of BSERVATIONS on the Answer of RELIGION of the Times, 318 406 244 321 112 on Burgoyne's State of his Expedition, on Johnson's Life of Milton, 324 RIDE and a Walk through Stourhead, RIOTS, late, at London, Publications 487 247 502 PARADISE Regained, 323 SAILOR, Letter from, to Lord Sandwich, PASCAL'S Works, new and complete 84 POEMS fit for a Bishop, 425 See LYTTELTON. by Jenkins, 498 by Lambert, 327 POETICAL Epistle to General Wathing. SERMONS, fingle, 96, 413, 415 POPERY, Publications relative to, 67, 238, 319, 325, 371, 501 331 88 mer, 28 2. Before the Lords, by the Bishop of St. 3. Before the Commons, by Dr. Horne, ib. PRINGLE'S Difcourfe on Gunnery, 496 ib. CONTENTS of the FOREIGN ARTICLES, N. B. For the CONTENTS of the Foreign Articles in the COR- RESPONDENCE, inferted in the Reviews for January, February, THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For JANUARY, 1780. Art. I. Lectures on the univerfal Principles and Duties of Religion an? Morality, as they have been read in Margaret-Street, CavendishSquare, in the Years 1776 and 1777. By the Rev. David Williams. Printed for the Author, and fold by Dodfley, &c. 2 vols. 4to. Subfcription 11. 18. 1779. MR. R. Williams is a gentleman of fo fingular a caft of character and principles, that we should be tempted to pay a particular attention to him on that account; fuppofing he were even more deficient, than we imagine him to be, in qualities of higher importance and eftimation. The introduction to this curious performance opens with a definition of infanity. We did not immediately perceive the Author's defign in fetting off fo oddly. We doubted not, however, of Jome defign, at the bottom: Mr. Williams feldom fays or does any thing, even in the moments of the purest simplicity, without fome reason. It appears then, that Mr. Williams gives his Readers a definition of infanity, for the fole purpofe of convincing them that he himfeif, however extraordinary, is not mad. inftitution of a form of public worship (fays he) on thofe principles which arife immediately from nature, in a community where almost every thing in morals, religion and polity, are decided upon by authority:-the refolution of a man to be the author of it, who doth not covet fufferings, and has not the difpofitions of a martyr:-the idea of leaving the plan to fucceed by its merits in a country where every thing is rendered fuccessful by money or protection:-thefe have been urged as proofs of infanity and perhaps they may be. Rut the application of them to me hath been owing to an unacquaintance with the following facts, which imply the hiftory of an inftitution of public worship on the univerfal principles of morals. VOL. LXII. B • I quitted I quitted the customary offices of the profeffion to which I was educated, for reafons which.have been already affigned [viz. in the Appendix to the fecond edition of Effays on public Worship]. But either because religion is effential to the human mind; or becaufe the habits of a profeffion are, like all others, very difficult to be fufpended-I could not reft fatisfied out of my employment; On intimating my fituation, I had hopes given me of the moft flattering encouragement. But on feeing my plan extended beyond the limits of the Chriftian church [i. e. fering the plan was purely a deiftical one-as the Author fhould have faid in plain language], they were withdrawn, and my papers were put up: for I had none of the views of Reformers and Apoftles: and it was my intention not to engage, until it appeared to be for the fervice and pleasure of others, as well as my own.' This confeffion is a very frank one: and we give him full and unreserved credit for the truth of it. The children of light are not always wife in their generation. But Mr. Williams,. who had renounced all pretenfions to their character, was refolved not to act on their plan. The heroic paffion of foulfaving (as Lord Shaftesbury ironically termed it) mingled not with his principles, and had no fhare at all in the inftitution in Margaret-Street.' Aos 8 sw- Give me where to stand (as Mr. Williams might be fuppofed to fay) But I will have folid ground or I will lock up all my inftruments. I have not the wings of the Apostles. I cannot work by their faith; nor live on their hopes.' But though Mr. Williams did not chufe to venture his bottom on the fanciful stocks of reformation, nor to launch his veffel, like a vifionary Apoftle, into the air;-though he wished like a prudent man of this generation, to ferve and please himself as well as other people; yet he recoils at the idea of having his plan injuriously degraded,' by fecing it claffed amongit the unadvifed projects of an individual for his own emolument and advantage.' After reprobating the defigns of fanatics and miffionaries, in their attempts to reform churches and kingdoms, he tells his Readers, that his bufinefs hath not any thing in common with fuch defigns. The liturgy on the univerfal Principles of Religion and Morality, was firft intended as a gratification and pleasure to a small number of perfons who could worship on no other; to be publicly ufed, on the fuppofition that it would afford the fame gratification and pleasure to great numbers in the fame circumftances, and bring me fome recompenfe for my trouble in ufing it. When the defign was made public, the expectations entertained by fome, and the apprehenfions of others, were equally |