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XIII. A fhort Epistle from a Country Gentleman to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, on the prefent Conjuncture of Affairs. 4to. 4d. T. Payne.

This Politician affects the character of a Joker, in the out-fet of his Epiltle; which, however, ends in a fober propofal relating to the method of establishing a proper Conftitutional Militia. But here, where the Author leaft intended it, lies, we apprehend, the greatest Joke his performance can boat: for, fhould he not have bottled up his fcheme as to the manner of raising a Militia, till it became known whether, or not, we are to have a Militia at all? Let but that fundamental point be fettled, and then, no fear of Ways and Means.

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XIV. Bower Vindicated from the falfe Infinuations and Accufations of the Papifts. With a fhort Account of his Character. In Anfwer to the Pamphlet intitled, Six Letters from Ad Br to Father Sheldon, &c. By a Country Neighbour. 8vo. 6d. Doughty.

What Mr.Bower himself has to offer in answer to the heavy accufations urged against him by his opponents, is yet unknown to the public; but as to what is advanced by his Country Neighbour, it is extremely trifling, and fcarce worth taking notice of. The whole pamphlet is not equal in quantity to five pages of our Review ; and we learn little more from it, than that Bower is very confant at his parish church, efteemed a good husband, an enemy to no man, and well refpected by all his neighbourhood. In regard to the Six Letters, this Country Neighbour tells us, that they are nonfenfical forgeries, and that Bower's fecond affidavit before John Fielding, Efq; is fufficient to convince any person that they are fo: This, to be fure, is very fatisfactory evidence.-As to the money-tranfaction, we are told, that about the year 1741, Bower had a fum of money by him, which he went to lend to the Trustees for building Aldgate church, but was too late; that in returning from thence, he accidentally met with Father Hill, to whom he told his disappointment; and that Hill immediately offered to take his money on the fame terms he was disappointed of with the Trustees, which Bower, through hafte, inadvertently accepted; but when he began his Hiftory of the Popes, thought it prudent to defire back his money, which request Hill complied with. Our Author refers to Bower for every particular of this tranfaction, and advises him, as a friend, to publish the whole of it to the world, in his own vindication. He allows this tranfaction with Father Hill to have been an indifcretion; but obferves that the like has been practifed, for many years paft, by Proteftants as well as Roman-Catholics. As to the charge against Bower, of his being met by an acquaintance, coming out of a houfe of civil-reception in Covent Garden, this Author tells us, that he has heard Bower fay, he went to that houfe on a laudable occafion,

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cafion, viz. to fetch a young Gentleman from thence as from a houfe of ill-fame, and that all the relations of that young Gentleman are at this time in great friendship with him. This is the fubftance of what is advanced by Bower's Country Neighbour; and we fhall leave our Readers to their own reflections upon it. XV. Geographical, Hiftorical, Political, Philofophical, and Mechanical Elays. No. II. By Lewis Evans. 4to. Is. 6d. DodЛley.

In the Review, vol. XIV. p. 29, feq. we gave fome account of the first part of Mr. Evans's ingenious, public fpirited, and ufeful work; which we are truly forry he did not live to compleat. This fecond part is employed in refuting a Letter published in the New-York Mercury of January 5, 1756; containing objections to thofe parts of Evans's General Map and Analysis, which relate to the French title to the country on the north-west fide of St. Laurence river, between Fort-Frontenac and Montreal, &c. and reprefenting, alfo, the impropriety of fending forces to Virginia; the importance of taking Frontenac ; and that the prefervation of Ofwego was owing to General Shirley's proceeding thither. To all thefe particulars our Author replies, with the appearance of much folidity of argument, as well as honefty of intention. He was, certainly, a fenfible mán, a good geographer, (fo far, at leaft, as concerns that part of the world he treats of) and a true friend to his country; fo that his death may july be deemed a public lofs.

XVI. Reasons for Building Barracks; Difincumbering the Inn-keepers and Publicans; reftoring Difcipline to the Army; and a right Understanding between the Soldiers and the People; with fome cafual Remarks on the Nature, Genius, and Aptitude of a British Milita, 8vo. Is. Cooper.

It is very well known, that, in this land of liberty, foldiers as well as other fubjects, when not on military fervice, have no other obligation to good behaviour than the fear of incurring the penalties affixed to any, and every, infringement of the laws of their country. It is equally true, that they are always deemed inconvenient, and expensive to the public-houfes; where, from the neceflity of their being in fome manner provided for, they are quartered. The prevention of future offence, the removal of fome just complaints, and a propofal to render thefe difciplined gentlemen of somewhat more ufe to the community, are the reafons affigned for this publication: the author of which seems not inadequately acquainted with his fubject.

XVII. The Sham-fight; or Political Humbug. A State Farce, in two Acs; as it was acted by fome Perfons of Diftinction in the Mdn, and elsewhere. 8vo. is. Sold at Hogarth's Head, Fleetstreet.

This Political Humbug is comprized in feveral miferable buf foon dialogues; and is, on the whole, a more wretched catch

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penny

penny than many of the common ballads, on the subject of our late misconduct in the Mediterranean, &c.

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL.

XVIII. Comparative Theology: or, the true and folid Grounds of pure and peaceable Theology: a Subject very neceffary, tho' hitherto almoft wholly neglected. Firft laid down in an University discourse, and now tranflated from the original Latin. 12mo. Is. Printed for Cadell, Briftol, and fold by Cooper, London.

This is a new edition of an excellent tract, written originally in Latin, by Dr. James Garden, who was Profeffor of Divinity in the King's college, Aberdeen, for feveral years before the Revolution; but, after the establishment of Prefbytery in Scotland, was deprived of his profefforfhip, for refufing to fubfcribe the Weftminster Confeffion of Faith, and the Formula. In the preface we have a fhort account of the Author, and of the work itself, which, we are told, was an introductory oration to one of the annual courfes of divinity lectures. There have been feveral editions of it, both in Latin and English.

XIX. A Reply to Mr. Abraham Bourn's Free and Candid Confiderations, thewing the Impropriety and Incompetency of that Work, &c. With a Preface addreffed to the Gentlemen of the Presbyterian Perfuafion, especially in Liverpool. By Peter Whitfield. 8vo. Is. IS. Liverpool printed, by R. Williamfon, and fold by Hitch, &c. in London.

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In the Review for March lat, p. 258, we just mentioned Mr. Bourn's pamphlet, which was an answer to a tract of Mr. Whitfield's, occafionally written in vindication of the Author's conformity to the church of England, contrary to the principles of his education. This tract (which was only the preface to a book not yet published*) we had not then feen; but it hath. fince fallen in our way. The Author, who is a person in trade, appears to be a man of good sense, confiderable learning, and extenfive reading; and is by no means a contemptible Controverfialist. Mr. Bourn, his antagonist, is also a lay-man, and a man of business, with the advantage of a liberal education : however, both these champions have given rather too much way to farcasms, and fneers at each other; as is too often the custom in literary, as well as other, debates. But this practice is both

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* Entitled, The Chriftianity of the New Teftament; or a ⚫ scholaftic Defence of the Scripture Doctrines of Redemption, Propitiation, &c. From a Comparison of the original meaning ⚫ of those terms in the Hebrew of the Old Teftament, and the • Greek Verfion of the fame, with their Ufe and Application in the Writings of the New Teftament, against the Infidels and Li⚫bertines of this Age.'

ment,

unbecoming, and impertinent. It has nothing to do with argu ment, especially on religious fubjects; and rather feems to indicate the party's defire to mortify his opponent, than to afcertain a Truth.

As to the points in debate between Meffrs. Whitfield and Bourn, we leave them to fettle matters between themfelves, as well as they can for controverfies of this nature, are neither very entertaining, or improving, unlefs when treated in the most mafterly manner, indeed; i. e. with the utmost candour and decency; with learning fully adequate to the fubject; and a thorough knowlege of human nature without which Revelation itself will not be fo completely understood, as it ought to be, by those who fet up for its Commentators and Expounders.

XX. A Reply to a Quare concerning Confirmation, in Letter to a fcrupulous Friend. By a Prefbyter of the Church of England. 8vo. 6d. Rivington.

The queftion, to which an antwer is here given, is this:In cafe any perfon has received the holy Communion before Confirmation, is it neceffary for him to be confirmed afterwards?

In regard to this, our Author is of opinion, that the receiving the Lord's Supper prior to confirmation, cannot in the leaft fuperfede the neceffity of receiving the latter, when a proper opportunity offers. For if the Lord's Supper could convey to us all the benefits which confirmation does, there would then, he fays, be no occafion for Confirmation at all; and our Church, as well as the primitive one, would be to blame for appointing tavo ordinances to effect that which may as well be effected by one. But that the Church of Christ in all ages has apprehended a special difference between the Graces and Effects of these two ordinances, he thinks evidently appears from the diftinction, which has ever been obferved between the Officer adminiftring the one and the other. All in Priefts orders, and fometimes even Deacons, have a power to confecrate and adminifter the elements in the holy Excharift; whereas the office of Confirmation has ever been referved to the Epifcopal order. In a word, he is of opinion, and he is certainly in the right, that a BISHOP can confer some peculiar graces, which an ordinary Priest cannot.

He tells us further, that the gift of the Holy Ghoft is generally the effect of Confirmation; that the Fathers of the Church alone have the power vefted in them of conferring, by impofition of hands and prayer, the manifold gifts of the Holy Ghost; that in the Sacraments of Baptifm and the Lord's Supper, the Holy Spirit communicates fuch myftical virtue to the outward figns as cleanfes the foul from fin, and produces the fpiritual life; but in Confirmation he communicates himself, fanctifies our perfons, takes up his refidence in our fouls, and makes our bodies to become his temples. If it be neceffary for Chriflians to be furnished with. frength against their fpiritual enemies, with divine graces to render them acceptable to God, and (in a word) to receive the Holy

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Ghoft, how can we depend, he aks, on any means for procuring fuch ineftimable benefits, but thofe which God has appointed in Confirmation ?

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Notwithstanding all that is faid of the ineftimable benefits derived from Confirmation, many very ferious and fenfible perfons are of opinion, that this ceremony, as it is at prefent appointed and practifed in our church, is fo far from conducing to the purpoles of piety and virtue, that it tends to cherish in mens minds falfe and prefumptuous hopes, and to delude them into wrong notions as to the safety of their state, and as to the terms of acceptance and favour with God: whether this be fo or not, certainly deferves the ferious cenfideration of those who are concerned for the interefts of religion, or for the honour of our church.

XXI. No Proteftant Popery. A Letter of Admonition to the Rev. Mr. Samuel Pike. Occafioned by fome very offenfive Paffages in his Affembly's Catechifm analized, explained, &c. which are animadverted upon, and the fole Authority of the facred Scriptures defended. By Caleb Fleming, Author of the Scale of Principles, &c. 8vo. 6d. Noon.

We have read this little piece with great pleafure, as we do every thing that is written in defence of the fundamental princi ples of Proteftantifm, the facred and unalienable rights of private judgment, which Mr. Fleming vindicates with fpirit, fenfe, and freedom. He animadverts very smartly, and with a becoming feverity, on Mr. Pike's remarks upon the Affembly's Catechifm, and makes fome very pertinent obfervations on the recommendation of that work by the Rev. Fa hers Bradbury, Guife, Hall, Rawlin, and King. His principal defign is to vindicate the authority of Scripture, and the rights of Reason, the first and beft of God's gifts to men. What he fays of the Affembly's Catechifm, appears to be very juft: he is of opinion, that it prejudices the mind againft the plainnefs and fimplicity of the Gofpel doctrine; that it has contributed not a little to promote the caufe of Infidelity; and that the decay of Religion among us, and a contempt of the Bible, is, probably, much owing to the mifreprefentations therein given of the Christian doctrine.As for Mr. Pike, if there are any of our Readers who are unacquainted with his character, it may not be improper to inform them, that he is Orthodox to the Back-bone: it is a delicious part of his divinity, he tells us, that the Father, the Son, and b Spirit, perfonally diftinct from each other, are each of them truly divine and poffeffed of all the perfections of Deity. This fweet, delicious morfel he may enjoy alone for us, unenvied: fuch delicacies may be very proper for weak ftomachs, but we require more fubflantial food.

XXII. Obfervations on the Doctrine of an Intermediate State, between Death and the Refurrection. With fome remarks on

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