and those who have left off fugar are invited to contribute their fav ings in that article.

This is a fpecimen of the plans formed by reclufe and well-meaning men, i rural retreats; and they are well employed: they amufe themfelves; and if one good hint can be picked out of a thousand fuch schemes, fociety will be fo far benefited by their lucubrations. N.

Art. 73. A concife View of Christianity: or, A fhort Catechifm, explaining fome of the principal Doctrines of the Chriftian Religion; fuited to young People; but principally intended for the Children of the Sunday- fchools. By the Rev. James Jarman. 12mo. 4d. Matthews. 1792.

We hope that the numerous productions of this kind, which the Sunday fchools have occafioned, may be fufficient to accommodate the variety of opinions and circumftances prevailing in the different places where this (as we trust,) ufeful charity is eftablished.

Mr. Jarman writes like a man who earnestly wishes to affift in the forming young minds to piety and virtue.-Speaking of thefe inftitutions, he obferves, it is pleafant to contemplate that men of different religions are friendly to this.'-We rather wondered at this expreffion,-which we confider as a vulgar kind of phrafe,-with ignorant people indeed very common, but not to be expected from a clergyman and a scholar.-The inhabitants of this country, we apprehend, are, in general, to be confidered as profeffing no other religion than the Chriftian, though they may vary as to fome modes and opinions concerning it.

Art. 74. Two short Difcourfes on the Lord's Supper, and the Example of Chrift; together with an Exhortation on the proper Ufe of the Lord's Day. By J. Charlesworth, M. A. late Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. Second Edition. Svo. 6d. Johnfor.

1792.

Art. 75. A Sermon on the Duty and Pleasure of doing Good to our Fellow Creatures. By J. Charlesworth, M. A. 8vo. 4d. Johnson.

1792.

Art. 76. Two Practical Sermons on Private Prayer and Public Worhip. To which is added, A fhort Addrefs on the proper Manner of employing the Lord's Day. By J. Charlesworth, M. A. 8vo. 6d. Johnfon. 1792.

As thefe difcourfes are of the fame character, we bring them under one view. This is not done, however, to intimate that we judge them to be of little value; for we think that few labours are more important than that of preparing practical leffons of moral and religious inftruction, fuited to the apprehenfion of the common people, and judiciously adapted to improve their difpofition, and to influence their conduct, without leading them into the perplexities of controverly, or inflaming them with the phrenzy of enthufiafm. Mr. Charlesworth continues his ufeful difcourfes with unremitting attention to propriety of fentiment, and neatnefs of language. The fhort addrefs on the proper manner of spending the Lord's day is Fublished feparately. E. SINGLE

H.

SINGLE SERMON S.

Art. 77. On Establishments in Religion and Religious Liberty. Preached before the University of Cambridge, July 1, 1792, being Commencement-Sunday. By Robert Thorp, D. D. Archdeacon of Northumberland, and Rector of Gateshead. 4:0. 15. Cadell. Within the compass of a few pages, Dr. Thorp undertakes to explain the nature and extent of religious liberty, to prove the necelfity of establishments, and to fhew the juice and expediency of the teft-laws for their fecurity. He argues with great moderation, and we believe he means to argue with fairness: but we must be ingenuous enough to confefs, that he appears to us not to reafon with that logical precision and difcrimination, which are neceffary to convince the philofophical reaser. He does not diftinguish be tween the establishment of religion, and a religious establishment. It may be deemed wite in a flate to promote the inculcation of religious principles, because they are the firmeft basis of focial virtue: yet it does not hence follow that this-is-ney lytem of religions below doctriner All Dr. Thorp's arguments, therefore, brought to prove the beneficial influence of religion on fociety, taken from a general view of its nature, do not evince the necellity of distinguishing any one particular fyftem of it, unless it can be demonftrated that this one is more conducive to virtue than any of the rest.

After laying it down as an axiom, that it is the first public concern of every well-regulated government to cftablish religion,' and obferving that most Chriftian nations have agreed upon the expediency of making a permanent provifion for those, who, fecluded from all fecular employments, are engaged in performing the offices of religion,' he proceeds, indeed, to remark, that if it be impoffible or inexpedient to extend this provifion to the various fects into which a fociety may be divided, it follows, that a preference must be given by law to fome particular fect:'-but we fub. mit it to Dr.Thorp's confideration, whether, by this if, he has not taken for granted the most effential matter of debate.

We have neither time nor inclination to launch out into this difcuffion; let it fuffice to remark on this occasion, that fince, according to Dr. Thorp's own words, Religion (generally confidered,) fupplies the defects of human policy, by implanting a real principle of virtue in the heart, by correcting the inward frame of the mind, and by influencing the moral conduct from the corrections of confcience, and a fenfe of the divine authority,' the established religious fyftem fhould contain nothing more than is requifite toward fecuring thefe important ends.

On the fubject of teft-laws, while Dr. T. confeffes that restraints, without reafon, or any good end in view, would be violations of natural liberty, he contends that religious perfuafions inconfiftent with the fafety of the ftate, or incompatible with the duties neceffary for its prefervation, that religious opinions, not immediately dangerous in themselves, if neceffarily connected or ufually accompanied with political opinions, hostile to the established form of government, are fufficient reafons for an exclufion from civil offices."

Though we would fay nothing in favour of doctrines evidently. dangerous to the flate, we cannot avoid protefling against that conAtructive

4

it is necessary to support any Jystem of doctrine.

Atructive treafon, by which fome religious doctrines are condemned as ufually accompanied with dangerous political fentiments. It is ealy, in this way, to impute to any religious opinion, a dangerous political tendency: but, in the court of liberal criticism, this cannot pafs for fair and juft argument.

Notwithstanding we object to some of the reasoning in this difcourfe, our admiration and praise were not withheld from Dr. Thorp's exhortation. It is, throughout, the language of a wellinformed and truly benevolent Chriftian.

But the promotion of virtue and piety, the influence of the doctrines and motives of the gospel over the lives and actions of men, are the most certain and infallible marks of the rectitude and utility of a religious inftitution. However men may differ about the means, as far as thefe ends are attained, fo far the inftitution undoubtedly coincides with the intention of the author of our religion. Let it be our conftant endeavour to preferve this diftinction, by exciting men to the practice of juftice, fidelity, temperance, charity, and every good work, following after the things which make for peace, and engaging all parties, by moderation and forbearance, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, to unite in that univerfal eftablishment of Chriftianity, which we are promifed it shall in due time attain, when the kingdoms of this world fall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of bis Chrift; when the fullness of the Gentiles fhall come in; and there fhall be one fold and one shepherd.' Mooy Art. 78. Preached on Whitfunday, A. D. 1791, by Jofeph Holden Pott, M. A. Prebendary of Lincoln, and Archdeacon of St. Alban's. 12mo. 6d. Rivingtons. 1792.

An ingenious difcourfe, containing feveral good remarks accommodated to the forms and times appointed in our established church, and more conformable to the Calvinistic part of its articles than is often obferved. It is defigned as a fupplement to two others on fafts and feftivals; for an account of which, fee Review, New Series, vol. ii. p. 365.

H. Art. 79. Preached at the Anniversary Meeting of the Sons of the Clergy, in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, May 12, 1791. By Jofeph Holden Pott, M. A. &c. 4to. Is. Rivingtons.

The fame account may be given of this fermon as of other publications by Mr. Pott. There is, perhaps, fomewhat more in it of priefbood and altar than a liberal mind, fraught with just apprehenfions of Chriftianity, can altogether approve: but, on the whole, the difcourfe is a good one, and well adapted to the occafion. Art. 80. Preached at the Opening of the New Ebury Chapel near Sloane-fquare, Chelfea. By the Rev. Richard Sandilands, LL. B. Chaplain to the Right Hon. the Viscountess Dowager of Hereford. 8vo. IS. Cadell. 1792.

Perhaps the view in which religious edifices are represented in this difcourfe, may have too much tendency to encourage a fuperftitious reverence for places of worship, as fuch. The house of God! with what awful reverence fhould every individual approach an edifice dignified with fo facred an appellation!' Such language, left un

guarded,

H.

guarded, may produce, in weak and ignorant minds, a fuperftitious notion of the fanctity of " temples made with hands," which this writer probably does not mean to encourage; for the fermon bears marks of information as well as ingenuity; and the writer is careful, at the clofe, to reprefent a virtuous character as effential to the acceptablenefs of religious fervices. E. Art. 81. The Qualifications of a Minifler, with fome Remarks on Public Teaching. Delivered before the Synod of Relief, Edinburgh, May 5, 1792. By James Dun, Minifter of the Gospel in Kilsyth. 8vo. 6d. Printed at Edinburgh.

In this difcourfe, we meet with proper inftruction, and a variety of juft and feasonable remarks. Mr. Dun, while he recommends other branches of knowlege, particularly infifts on Biblical learning. On this fubject, he fays, until more attention is paid to the Hebrew language, and to the ancient verfion of the Seventy, I defpair of much theological improvement.'-There is fome peculiarity of manner in this fermon, which, for the most part, feems to indicate in the preacher a maturity of judgment; but, in a few inftances, it appears rather to difcover the piquant vivacity of youth; which he may, poffibly, have affumed, the more aptly to expofe fome improprieties, or affected modes, which he may confider as gaining ground among the Scottish preachers.

H.

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the MONTHLY REVIEWERS.

GENTLEMEN,

Dec. 13th, 1792. BEING a well-wisher to the reformation of liturgies, I was forry to find, from your last month's Review, that the word only-begotten is retained in the Newcale liturgy. Jefus Chrift is there ftyled, God's only-begotten Son.

It seems to me to be inconfiftent with Unitarian principles, to understand the word literally; moroyevns vio; being applied to Jefus merely 'x, by way of eminence in a moral fenfe, as he was the only one of the human race, who had fulfilled the whole will of God, and had never at any time difobeyed him. In the epifle to the Hebrews, Ifaac is ftyled roying bios, the only-begotten fon of Abraham, though it appears from the Old Teftament hiftory, that Abraham had one fon before, and several after the birth of Ifaac; but Ifaac, being his first legitimate fon, has therefore the epithet moyens given him. This inftance fufficiently proves, that the word μoyevn; does not always, in the Scriptures, frictly fignify only-begotten, even in the natural fenfe. In the cafe of Chrift, Morgens, in the Unitarian acceptation of it, is wholly figurative. I believe St. John is the only writer in the New Teftament, who applies the word μerys to our Lord.

There is moreover, in my opinion, an extreme indelicacy in the ufe of the word only-begotten; for though Moyens, or unigenitus, may Pafs very well in the learned languages, yet the English word, if it excites any idea at all, muft excite a very grofs one, and highly improper to be entertained concerning the fubjects to which it has refpect. It is plain, the tranflators of the N. T. did not think it neceffary to adhere clofely to the etymology of the word yes, for it is feveral times applied by St. Luke to different perfons, and is always rendered by the tranflators only, omitting the other component part. Having never feen

the

the tranflations of Dr. Campbell and Mr. Wakefield, I do not know how thefe gentlemen interpret the word. As only begotten, when applied to Chrift, is purely metaphorical, and at the fame time is offenfive to delicacy, I could with the word were totally dropped, and only fubftituted every where in its flead.

In the Trinitarian worship, the words begotten and only-begotten are repeated to difguft, and are there understood literally, as is clear from the Nicene and Athanafian creeds, both of which I fincerely with at the bottom of the fea.

As to that moft un-christian creed of Athanafius, I hope God will forgive me for having fometimes read it; and if good fortune thould ever make it neceflary for me to run over it again, I still rely on his mercy; for, bad as it is, I cannot think that the Supreme Being will regard the reading of it as a crime deferving of damnation.

I trust to your goodness to excufe the trouble I have occafioned to you, and am, with the trueft efteem for your labours,

'Gentlemen, &c.'

We heartily join with the writer of the above letter (who appears to be a clergyman of the establishment.) in his difapprobation of the words "only-begotten fon," as applied to Jefus: but when, in page 292 of our last month's Review, we obferved that these words Occurred in the fecond addrefs of the litany in the Newcastle liturgy, we did not express our difapprobation of them, because we were there merely enumerating the alterations made by the Newcastle compilers; never fupponing that our readers would conclude, from our filence refpe&ting them, that we approved of all the alterations there noticed. We are happy, however, that this gentleman has furnished us with the occafion of undeceiving any reader, who may have erroneously drawn fuch a conclufion. Ta

Our correfpondent will excufe our having omitted a paragraph in his very good letter, which particular reafons induced us to fupprefs.

** The following note came to us without any fignature, and requires very little comment. The remark on Creifade is just.

In more than one * page of the Monthly Review for November, the combination of the Emperor, the King of Pruffia, &c. &c. . against the French nation, is called a royal croifade. An advocate for propriety of fpeech takes the liberty of fubmitting to the judg ment of the Reviewers, whether creifade may be a fuitable term, the cross not being difplayed upon the banners of the confederate armies, and there not being the leaft reafon to imagine that these monarchs and their partizans are influenced by Chriftian motives. Croifade was an apt word for the expedition to the Holy Land, to which a few artful, interefted leaders prompted nobody can tell how many thoufand deluded men to make a military pilgrimage, and it is believed it was fabricated for its fignificance. Why then not coin the term coronade, as being truly expreffive of the Quixotic coalition of these wife and mighty potentates?"

The letter from Sunderland is just received.

* We wish that this correspondent had pointed out the pages, as we cannot turn to them without too much expence of time.