that the preachers of Christianity are not that defpicable and ufelefs order of men which fome of the deiits reprefent them; but that, on the contrary, fo far as they act agreeable to their facred office, they are friends to mankind, valuable and ufeful members of fociety, and are therefore entitled to a fuitable degree of refpect and esteem for their work's fake: and as the neglect of public worthip, or a forfaking of the affembling ourselves together, may be confidered much in the fame light with the contempt of the Chriflian clergy, I have taken fome pains, in the ninth difcourfe, to thew the advantages of public worship, and the obligations we lie under to frequent it. The three following difcourfes on family religion are plain and practical. They attempt the elucidation and enforcement of one of the greatest and most important duties of a Chriftian parent, or matter of a family. And as the timely and proper religious education of youth, and a conftant courfe of ferious exemplary devotion maintained in families, tend greatly to preferve the rifing generation from libertiniẩm and infidelity, and as the neglect of thefe cannot but have a pernicious influence on the interests of religion and morality in the world; fo far thefe difcourfes may be reafonably prefumed to fubierve the cause of Chriflianity, and promote its intereils in the world. Towards the conclufion of the fecond of thefe difcourfes have infifted pretty largely, upon a duty exceedingly neglected among thefe islands, namely, hearty and diligent endeavours to inftruct and christianize our heathen flaves. The fubftance of this difcourfe was delivered to the people of my charge, thortly after my arrival in the West Indies, and the experience and obfervation of near nine years, elapfed fince that time, confirm me in the fame fentiments, and make this humane and charitable duty, equally obligatory, equally practicable, and equally useful and important at this day, as it did then. i am daily more and more convinced, that that remarkable corruption of manners which prevails in thefe iflands, has its fource among our heathen flaves, who vitiate the tafle, debauch the principles, and corrupt the manners of our youth of both fexes, from their very infancy, and that a general reformation of manners must begin by throwing the falt of Chriftian knowledge and principles into this polluted fountain: tho' I am deeply fenfible at the fame time, that this is never likely to be done without a greater degree of zeal for the interefts of religion and morality in the masters and owners of flaves, than appears any where among us at prefent, and that, all things confidered, fuch a general reformation is a thing rather to be defired than expected.' This last remark, concerning the great influence of heathen flaves in causing and promoting a corruption of manners, deferves particular notice. Mr. Knox has had the best opportunities for making obfervations upon the subject, and therefore we cannot difpute the fact: but we fhould fuppofe that the inconfitence, too often obfervable between the behaviour of Chriftian mafters, and their avowed principles, may do much to render the conduct of thefe unhappy flaves worfe than it would otherwife be: whereas humanity and good example might greatly conduce toward civilizing their manners, and would make it more eafy to inftruct them in the principles of truth and religion. And very commendable it is in those of the clergy who are fituated in thefe places, warmly to intit, in all proper ways, upon a fubje& a fubject in which the honour of our religion and the good of mankind feem fo much concerned. It is added concerning thefe volumes, as for the few plain difcourfes which follow, i can give little other reafon for adding them to the prefent collection, than that they appeared to me to be on fubjects of fome importance, and that, being chiefly of a plain and practical nature, they might fuit the taste, understanding, and circumstances of a certain clafs of readers, and might prove fome compenfation to them for the toil of perusing the foregoing fpeculative difcourfes, which are, perhaps, not very level to their capacities.' We fuppofe there fermons, in general, level to the capacities of thofe who are likely to read them: that they are plain and practical is indeed their chief recommendation. They are, on the whole, well adapted to promote piety and virtue. Hi. 4 Thefe pofthumous difcourfes were printed by fubfcription, under the care of the Author's friend, the Rev. Dr. Ifaac Weld; whofe judicious account of the life and writings of the learned and worthy Author, are a valuable addition to the work. As to the merit of the fermons here given to the public, it is unnecflary for us to fay more than that the productions of Dr. Leland's pen are too well known to the world, to require any recommendation from us; and that thele Difcourfes will not injure the reputation fo july acquired by the Author, from his many excellent and pious writings publifhed in his lifetime. 2 S. Art. 15. A Review of Abraham's Cafe with regard to the offering up bis Son Ifaac, whom he loved. By James Favell, D. D. 4to. Cambridge printed, and fold by johnfon and Co. in London. There does not appear to have been any very conderable reafon for offering this pamphlet to the public. Part of it is employed upon fome objections which have been raifed again this portion of fcripture-history: but the anfwers to thofe objections have already been given by feveral writers with at least as much ftrength and folidity as by the prefent Author. His peculiar view feems to be to controvert Dr. Warburton's account of this fubje&t; and therefore (at the back of the title-page) we find the Reader defired, before he perufes this tract, to fee with the eye of attention, what hath been faid between the 81ft and 96th pages, and between the 591ft and 620th of the 2d vol. in two parts, of the Divine Legation of Mofes demonftrated. Edit. 1741.' It is indeed neceffary to confult the work here referred to, in order to have fome good understanding of Dr. Favell's meaning; for his manner of writing is not the most clear; and his fentences frequently feem imperfect and unconnected. He fuppofes, if we understand him right, that the whole of this tranfaction of Abraham's might pafs only in prophetic vifion; that it was intended to fhew the patriarch, as in a fcene, and in him fucceeding generations, the manner of mankind's redemption Sil redemption by Chrift; and further to exhibit a most exemplary inftance of obedience to the divine will and command as a pattern for all future times.' He writes much concerning vifions and emblemagical reprefentations, and has feveral Latin quotations, from Maimonides and other Authors, which he has gathered in his reading; but whether he or the bishop have the best of the argument, in those particulars in which they differ on this subject, we leave every Reader to determine for himself. Hi. Art. 16. A Letter to the Right Hon. Horatio Walpole, Efq; written Jan. 9, 1750-1. By the Right Rev. Thomas Secker, L L. D. Bishop of Oxford; concerning Bithops in America. 8vo. 6d. Rivington. An advertisement prefixed, informs us, that this Letter was found among the papers of the late Archbishop Secker; that it was written in confequence of a letter dated May 9, 1750, from the late Lord Walpole, to the late Dr. Sherlock, bishop of London, which was communicated by the latter to Bishop Secker, Jan. 2, 1750-1. It is now printed, we are further affured, in obedience to an order left with it under his grace's own hand, dated May, 25, 1759, a copy of which order is alfo added. We obferve fome difference in the account which is given by the Editors, and afterwards by the Archbifhop, of the manner in which his grace was first made acquainted with Lord Walpole's letter. The former tells us that it was communicated to him by the Bishop of London; the latter returns thanks to Mr. Walpole for having himself favoured him with a fight of his letter to the Bishop. The circumftance is not of any great importance, but fhould have been attended to before the publication. Dr. Secker's reply, now before us, is written in an easy, agreeable, and artful manner, and with great appearance of moderation and candour. Had the letter to which this is defigned as an answer been published with it, the public would probably have had a yet more fatisfactory view of the fubject, upon which his lordship appears to have been of a different mind from his grace. The arguments here mentioned in favour of American bishops are the fame with those we hear commonly ufed: that which has the greatest weight is drawn from the principles of religious liberty, which, it is faid, the members of the church of England in our colonies do not enjoy;' this, with other confiderations, the Archbishop urges upon his readers, and endeavours alfo to remove the objections which are raised against his propofal: fome part of what he here fays is as follows. Allowing the establishment of bishops in America to be reasonable in itself, the fecond queftion is, Whether the danger of increafing church power by means of fuch an establishment be not a fufficient objection against it? Now, against things evidently right and useful, no dangers ought to be pleaded, but fuch as are both very probable and great; and from confirming and ordaining, no danger of this kind, I prefume, is apprehended. Yet thefe are the only new powers that will be exercised. No other jurifdi&ion is defired for the propofed bishops, than the preceding commiffaries have enjoyed, and even that, on this occafion, may be ascertained and limited more accurately, if it be requifite. But here it is asked, how any perfons can undertake to promife, that no additional powers fhall hereafter be propofed and preffed on the colonies, when when bishops have once been fettled? and, ftrictly speaking, indeed, nothing of this nature can ever be promised in any cafe. But if the Diffenters had been asked, on their applying for a toleration, how. they could undertake to promife, that when that point was once fettled, nothing further, nothing hurtful to the eftablished church, fhould ever be proposed and preffed on the government by them, furely this would not have been fufficient to defeat their application. And yet, what could they have answered? Not more, if fo much, as can be anfwered in the prefent cafe: that no fuch thing is at all intended, and that though it were, there would be no danger, either of the intention taking effect, or caufing any disturbance. But on the former of thefe affertions our fincerity may be queftioned. For it is argued, that bishops doubtless think the powers which they have in this nation, to be ftrictly just and reasonable; and confequently must be de firous of their taking place in the colonies. Now for my own part, and I believe my brethren in general are of the fame mind, I have no imagination that bishops are intitled to, or that it would be right to give them, every where, the fame powers and privileges, that we happen, by the particular conftitution of this country, to poffefs, here. Several parts of that constitution might perhaps full as well have been formed otherwife. Whether our fhare of it might or not I have never fet myself to confider; I hope and am perfuaded, it is, on the whole, as harmless and useful a branch as many others; and I endeavour, fo far as I am concerned, to make it fo. But were I to live where bifhops were only on the fame footing, on which it is now propofed they should be in our plantations, I fhould no more attempt to raise them higher, than I fhould to overturn the established form of government in any other respect. It may indeed be prudent to fufpect clergymen, minifters of ftate, all men, to fome degree. But it cannot be prudent to refufe doing things that are highly proper, on account of little more than a poffibility, that an improper ufe of them may be hereafter attempted.-The Bishop of London's commiffaries, I believe, have gained no acceffions to what was granted them originally and bishops will be still more narrowly watched by the governors, by other fects, by the laity, and even the clergy, of their own communion. Nor will they have a greater dread of any thing, if either fo good or fo difcreet men are chofen, as I promise myself will, than of lofing all, by grafping at what doth not belong to them.' Thus far the Archbishop. After all that can be faid to prove the reasonableness of his propofal, it is ftill no more a matter of furprize that American fubjects, who have learned how greatly their anceftors fuffered from civil and ecclefiaftical tyranny, fhould be prejudiced against the introduction of epifcopacy, than that bishops in England fhould plead for it. However well guarded and intended the first fcheme of this kind might be, there can be no fecurity that those principles which have been used for its establishment, may not afterwards be employed to ftretch its authority. Inftances of fuch encroachments from small beginnings have not been wanting, and this will often render wife and moderate people cautious in admitting what in itself may be juft and reafonable. Much is faid, and very fpeciously faid, in this pamphlet, to fhew that the design here recommended is of this kind. Some perfons will yet think, that there are fubjects which which do more immediately call for the zealous attention of the governors of our church; as for instance, an alteration in fome parts of our liturgy, &c. which has been long fo earneilly defired, and is ftill earnestly defired by many of the wife and pious of our communion. With regard to confirmation, (which is ufed as a confiderable argument in behalf of American bishops) it may, if properly regarded, be, improved to fome good end, but it is doubtful whether there are not many here at home, considered as members of the church of England, who have never received it: and among thofe who have been confirmed, there is reafon to apprehend, that numbers know little or nothing of its meaning; that they attend it merely as a form, or have fome fuperftitious notions of its efficacy, which are far from tending to any valuable purpose. Certainly, if the rite itfelf is of any importance, it must be important alfo that care fhould be used to explain its nature, and direct it to that advancement of piety and virtue, from its connection with which it must receive its value. Hi. Art. 17. Proteftant Armour: Or the Church of England-man's Defence against the open Attacks and artful Infinuations of Popish .Delufion. Extracted from the Writings of fome of the most eminent Divines of the established Church: and difpofed by way of Question and Anfwer, for the readier Information of Individuals. By Theophilus Anglicanus. 8vo, 4 s. fewed. Robfon, Fletcher, &c. 1769. No fubject of difpute has been more fully and judiciously canvaffed, than that of which this pamphlet treats. The Proteftant caufe has been defended by a number of learned and able writers of different denominations, who have purfued their adverfaries to every retreat, and if unprejudiced truth may judge, fairly routed and vanquished them. Great care was alfo ufed formerly to propagate the principles of proteftantifm, that private perfons, in every itation, might be, guarded against the attacks of Papifts. Thefe labours were very fuccefsful: but, for feveral years paft, this caufe has been more neglected, and there is reafon to believe that many of the inhabitants of thefe kingdoms, in all ranks, are, to a very great degree, if not totally, unable to defend themselves against the artful endeavours of popifh emiffaries. For this reafon, publications like this before us are feasonable, and ought to be encouraged. One inducement with this writer for compiling the prefent performance, he tells us, was the consideration, that the arguments upon the fubject have probably appeared to fome difadvantage, by being fcattered abroad in different authors, or difperfed here and there in the works of the fame Author, it feemed therefore, expedient to bring them together under one view, that they might act with their joint influence upon the mind.' He farther adds, that ⚫ another and far more confiderable motive prevailed with him, viz. an apprehenfion of the increafing number of Papifts amongst us, and the probably larger and more frequent imports of feduction from abroad. by means of thofe reftlefs and peftilent feducers, the lately exiled Jefuits.' The feveral arguments which are here produced, are thrown into a catechetical form, expreffed by way of question and anfwer, as 8 |