in fome degree upon one who continues a long time in them, but will rarely attack one whose stay is fhort.

2. Whether they require in a particular manner the fuperintendance of skilful perfons, either on account of their acute and dangerous nature, or any fingularity or intricacy attending them, or erroneous opinions prevailing among the common people concerning their treatment-It is evident that in general the most important good effects will arife from admitting thefe.

3. Whether they be contagious, or fubject in a peculiar degree to corrupt the air and generate peftilential diseasesthe danger of their admiffion to the other patients is obvious.

4. Whether a fresh and pure air be peculiarly requifite for their cure, and they be remarkably injured by any vitiation of it-I fear it will be impoffible with every improvement to render a hospital a fit refidence for perfons affected with fuch diseases.'

The author afterwards applies these confiderations to particular cafes, from which he draws many important and useful conclufions. We recommend this fenfible performance to the ferious attention of all who are concerned either in the conftruction or management of hofpitals. That it will have a beneficial influence on the plan of fuch hofpitals as may hereafter be erected, we cannot entertain any doubt. It is to be wifhed, that it might produce an alteration of those which are already built. We hope, that, in the mean time, the various circumftances which the ingenious author has fuggefted to the confideration of the phyficians and furgeons of hofpitals, will meet with fuch a degree of regard, as the importance of the fubject requires both from their humanity and. public duty.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE.

DIVINIT Y.

14. An Apology for the prefent Church of England, as by Law eftablished, &c. By Jofiah Tucker, D. D. 8vo. is. 6d. Bladon.

T

HIS learned writer introduces his Apology with these two poftulata.

I. That all focieties muft have fome common centre of union, and be governed by fome rule, either expreffed or implied, writted or traditionary.

II. That thofe perfons who are admitted of fuch focieties, and more efpecially thofe who propofe themselves to be candidates for offices and honourable diftinctions in the fame, are to be fuppofed to approve of this rule in the main, and this centre of union, whatever it may happen to be.

From thefe poftulata he infers, that the more important the ends and uses of any fociety are fuppofed to be, the fooner, generally speaking, will fuch an inftitution arrive at an acquifition of temporal poffeffions ;-that civil establishments may be formed without the intervention of the legislature ;-that all religious fects, in a land of liberty, will, in procefs of time, naturally and neceffarily establish themselves in proportion to their zeal, their number, and their abilities ;-that, as the establishing of religious focieties is unavoidable, in one degree or other, it becomes the duty of the public magiftrate to give the preference to that fociety, which, upon comparison with others, fhall appear to be the best and most deferving, and confequently the fittest to affift him in the administration of a rational, equal, and just plan of civil government; fecondly, that it is both his duty and his intereft to fupport and encourage the minifters of it to a certain degree, that is, to fuch a degree only as fhall elevate them above the contempt of the vulgar,without exciting the envy of the great; and thirdly, as to all thofe other fects, or parties in religion, which may happen to exist within the boundaries of his ftate, it is most certainÎy his duty, and evidently his intereft, to tolerate and protect them all, as far as a regard to good morals and the safety of the ftate can poffibly admit.

Upon these priniples Dr. Tucker difcuffes the point relating to church-revenues, or church-establishments. He then proceeds more immediately to the confideration of that poftulatum with which he first setout, viz. that all societies must have some common centre of union, and must be governed by fome rule, either expreffed or implied, written or traditionary. This maxim, he' thinks, cannot poffibly be denied; for, fays he, a fociety without any rule, any connection, or any focial bond, is, to his apprehenfion, no fociety at all. And yet, continues he, if we admit of fuch regulations, we must admit of creeds, articles, and fubfcriptions, under fome shape or other, or fomething equivalent to them; for these are nothing else but fo many rules of conduct, and centres of union.'

These principles lead our author to the great points at prefent in agitation; in the difcuffion of which he allows, that fome inconfiderable faults may truly and justly be found in the prefent doctrinal fyftem of the church of England. He points out fome things of this kind in the Thirty-nine Articles. He grants, that' the Athanafian Creed is really fuperfluous in our prefent fervice; that a new set of First Leffons may be more judiciously chofen out of the Old Teftament, than the prefent are; that fome ufeful abbreviations may be made in our Liturgy, and fome expreffions altered and amended. These things, he adds, every candid and impartial man will readily allow; and he would be glad to lend an helping hand, as far as his abilities and influence may extend, towards removing these few real blemishes, fpots, and imperfections, when a proper opportunity fhall offer.'

This is one of the most moderate, and, in the main, judicious Apologies, which we have lately seen in favour of the church of England.

15. A Plea for the Subfcription of the Clergy to the XXXIX Articles of Religion. By James Ibbetson, D. D. &c. The Fifth Edition, with large Additions. 8vo. 1s. 6d. White.

This author is continually advertifing new editions of his Plea ; but the public is already fo well acquainted with its merits, that it would be unneceffary for us to take any farther notice of it in this place.

16. A Scriptural Comment upon the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England. By M. Madan, A. B. Svo. Is. 6d. Rivington.

In this work Mr. Madan has collected a great number of texts from the Old and New Testament, in fupport of the Thirty-nine Articles; and has overshadowed the most obnoxious positions with a cloud of witneffes,' not omitting the teftimony of the Song of Songs.

Our author treats the petitioners in this contemptuous manner. The complainants, fays he, if we may judge from fome publications previous to this attempt, are a motley mixture of infidels of various denominations, fuch as Deifts, Arians, Socinians, and Pelagians; the grand point they want to be rid of is the doctrine of the Trinity in unity, and its confequences, fuch as the godhead of Chrift, and the perfonality and godhead of the Holy Ghoft; if these could be ftruck out of the Liturgy and Articles, they would be content. Dr. Clarke's Being, Mahomet's Alla, any but the true God, will ferve their turn, and if their is a man amongst them, who will declare publicly, that he be lieves the Trinity, I will give up the accufation.

Never, till now, have the advocates of infidelity dared to attack the Chriftian religion, by forming themfelves into a pub lic fociety.

It is plainly the purpofe of the petitioners to raze founda. tions, or to throw the reins upon the neck of infidelity, that it might be let loofe amongst the people, and fcatter its arrows, firebrands, and death, without controul *.

Not only among the regulars, in our church militant, but with many of the irregulars, the Calvinistical doctrines are entirely cafhiered. Some of the latter have carried the matter fo far, as to feem to give the Deity to understand, that if he should think or act on the fide of the Calvinifts, they will make him out (horrendum dictu!) worfe than the devil himself..

There is a fet of vipers in the bofom of the church, who, in the fhape of clergymen, would gnaw out her vitals.-Woe, yea, a thousand woes to this land, if the depravers and corrupters of our common faith have the fanction, or even the toleration of government for their fupport!'

"Dwells fo much anger in celeftial minds!"Who could have imagined, that the chaplain of the lord high chancellor, the preacher at the Lock, and one of the bleffed reformers of this finful and degenerate age, who thinks it a violation of christian purity to appear at Ranelagh, at a rout, at the theatres, or the Pantheon ; who could have imagined, that this exemplary faint *A curious and confiftent metaphor !

fhoul

Should thus defcend to the moft uncharitable invectives, intemperate railings, and the loweft abufe? He feems, notwithstanding he concludes his performance with what he calls a truly christian hymn,' to be in the gall of bitternefs;' or perhaps in that holy fury which poffeffed the Cumæan fibyl, when the predicted the fortune of Eneas. On this occafion we can only fay, in the words of Deiphobus," Ne fævi, magne facerdos !" 17. Letters to the Rev. Dr. Dawson, occafioned by a late Publication intitled Free Thoughts on the Subject of a further Reformation of the Church of England,' &c. 8vo. Is. Bladon. These letters were occafioned chiefly by the following and animadverfions on the part of Dr. Priestley and Dr. Dawson refpectively.

Dr. Priestley. Who among the clergy, that read and think at all, are fuppofed to believe one third of the Thirty-nine Articles?' Priestley on Government, p. 214.

Dr. Dawson. To charge us, at leaft to infinuate fuch a charge, with not believing, if we read or think at all, one third of what we have folemnly subscribed, is more than uncandid, it is to detract from our good name; it is. to judge us too in a matter on which man's judgment ought not to be taken.' Free Thoughts, &c. p. 25.

Speaking of Dr. Priestley, this writer fays, thofe whose weak eyes cannot bear the ftrong flashes of light, which accompany the "thunder of his pen, are all up in arms against him.'

It is, we may fuppofe, below the dignity of the Thunderer to engage with every adverfary that may rife up against him; and therefore this fubordinate champion comes forth, and attacks Dr. Dawson with his pop-gun.

18. Arguments used for abolishing Subfcription to the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England, by Parliament, feriously.confidered, c. 8vo. 6d. Evans. &c.

Infipid and inoffenfive irony.

2

19. Queries recommended to the Confideration of the Public, with regard to the XXXIX Articles. 8vo. Is. Johnfon. The defign of thefe queries is to fhew, that many of the Thirtynine Articles contain principles and pofitions which are contradictory to one another, inconfiftent with reafon and revelation, the nature and circumstances of man, and the attributes of an all perfect Being.

There is good-fenfe, and too much truth in many of these Queries.

The author has fubjoined a collection of texts, from the Old and New Testament, relative to the paftoral office, which he thinks may, with great propriety, be read over before a Chriftian congregation, by a clergyman, when he takes the charge of it, instead of the Thirty-nine Articles.

Part of the following remark concerning the Methodists is an unquestionable fact:

• I have,

I have, fays the author, been for fome time fully perfuaded that the prefent alarming run of Methodism is an immediate difpenfation of Providence, intended to punish rational believers, who have fhewn fo little zeal in the caufe of genuine Christianity. Thefe enthufiaftic people believe the most obnoxious articles in the ftrict and literal fenfe, and thereby confound the fubfcribing clergy with their own weapons: and confequently, the only reasonable way to ftop the progrefs of this prevailing fect is to abolish fubfcription to the Thirty-nine Articles; whereby the clergy will be enabled to confute their arrogant pretenfions by fcripture, rationally interpreted, without incurring the cenfure of prevarication in the cafe of fubfcription.'

20. A full Refutation of the Reafons advanced in Defence of the Petition for the Abolition of Subfcription to the Articles and Liturgy. 8vo. 6d. Baldwin.

There is fome acutenefs of argument in this tract. It made its first appearance in one of the evening-papers of the last month. 21. An Addrefs to the King, on the intended Application to Parliament for Relief in the Matter of Ecclefiaftical Subfcriptions. 8vo. 6d. Dilly.

The author of this Addrefs affures us, that the plan which the members of the affociation are pursuing is calculated to fubvert the conftitution of the church of England; that it is a measure void of wisdom and reafon; a conduct fo repugnant to the fcriptures of truth, that it cannot fail of being highly offenfive to the fupreme Governor of the univerfe.' He adds, it is greatly apprehended, that the scheme, if carried into execution, may be vi fited with marks of his displeasure against us, both as a church and nation.'-Weak and fanatical!

22. Letter to the Members of the hon. Houfe of Commons, reSpecting the Petition for Relief in the Matter of Subscription. 8vo. Is. Bowyer and Nichols.

This writer profeffes himself a warm friend to the church of England, but a warmer friend to the church of Chrift; one who earneftly contends for the orthodox faith, but who acknowledges no criterion of orthodoxy but scripture; one who cordially wishes to see a reformation in our religious establishment take place, but one too who cannot think it worth contending for, if the attempt be likely to produce any disorders in the civil conftitution, if it will tend to the fpilling of one drop of Chriftian blood, or to the extinguishing of one fpark of Chriftian charity amongst us.

He treats the fubject agreeably to these moderate and candid principles, and fuggefts many fenfible observations. 23. A Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, on the Subject of the intended Application to Parliament for Relief in the Matter of Subfcription to the XXXIX Articles, &c. 8vo. 6d. Johnson.

The defign of this letter is to recommend the petition to the confideration of the archbishop.