and indeed the greatest gospel minifter now living, and the faviour of half a million of fouls:-if we rightly understand his words, which are, one who has, directly and indirectly, been inftrumental in turning, perhaps,' [we did not obferve that ugly perhaps] not lefs than half a million of fouls from the evil of their way.'-Although it may be difficult to make out this eftimate, yet we believe that the celebrated leaders of our Methodils, both Arminian and Calvinist, have really been inftrumental to the reformation of many an idle and vicious perfon, among the lower people of this country; and therefore we cannot help thinking that Mr. Hill's zeal for the particular tenets of his party, hath carried him too far in his fevere impeachments of this indefatigable labourer in the vineyard. Art. 61. Chriftian Zeal: Or, Three Difcourfes on the Importance of feeking the Things of Chrift, more than our own. By Job Orton. 12mo. 9d. Shrewsbury printed, and fold by Buckland, &c. in London. 1774.

This worthy Writer intends, we fuppofe to convey the idea he has of himself by the motto he has chofen from the Roman poet, Fungar vice cotis, &c. which for the fake of the English reader, is thus tranflated in the preface to his discourses:

Not that I dare to active zeal pretend,

But only boaft to be religion's friend

To whet men on to act, and like the hone,
Give others edge, tho' I myself have none.

He obferves, that while excellent treatifes have been published, of late, in defence of toleration and liberty, and zealous attempts made to increase moderation and candour, which he hopes have produced very good effects, there is great room to complain of the want of zeal for the fupport and advancement of real, practical religion, and for the good of fouls. With an intent to revive this zeal, he puts into his Reader's hands these three Difcourfes, and hopes for their ferious attention to the motives and arguments urged in them. They are plain, fenfible, and perfuafive. We heartily wish they may have the effect propofed by their pious Writer; who hereby manifefts his benevolent and public fpirit, while his ftate of health difqualifies him for more active labours.

Art. 62. The rational Chriftian's Affiftant to the worthy receiving of the Lord's Supper. 12mo. 4 d. Johnfon. 1773..

This little tract is an abridgment of Bishop Hoadley's plain ac I count of the nature and end of the facrament of the Lord's Suppor. Should any apology be thought neceffary for treating the fubject in this manner, the Author fenfibly says, the only one I can perfuade myfelf to make is, that I have no authority to add to the words of Chrift and his apoftles on this fubject; nor to put any meaning or interpretation on those words, but what is agreeable to the common rules of fpeaking, in like cafes, and to the declared defign of the inflitution itself: nay, that it would be, in me, a finful prefumption to amufe Chriftians with greater and higher expectations than they, who alone can be depended on, as far as I can judge, have given - them any reafon to entertain. If I have arrived at the full meaning of what our Lord and his apoftles have taught, I have what alone I ought to aim at ; and it will be of little importance from how many and how great men I differ.'

[

In that part of this little pamphlet in which Bishop Hoadley's account is applied to the communion office of our church, the prefent Writer adds fome amendments in the office proposed by the late Dr. Samuel Clarke, and tranfcribed from his interleaved copy of the Common Prayer Book, now lodged in the British Museum.

SERMONS.

L. Preached in the Chapel of the Afylum for Female Orphans, at the anniversary Meeting of the Guardians of that Charity, May 19, 1773. By Beilby Porteus, D. D. Rector of St. Mary, Lambeth, and Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majefty. 4to. Is. Payne, &c.

This difcourfe is well adapted to direct and affift perfons in the general exercise of a charitable temper, as well as to that particular occafion on which it was delivered. It is fenfible and judicious, and E pleads the caufe of the Afylum charity with energy and rational perfuafion. The worthy Preacher represents the advantages of this benevolent retreat for female childhood and innocence, in such a light, that, on the fuppofition of its being conducted according to the plan he mentions, we apprehend no person will have cause, in his coolest moments, to repent of having contributed to its fupport. 11. Before the Houfe of Lords, Jan. 31, 1774, being the Day ap pointed to be obferved as the Day of the Martyrdom of King Charles I. By the Right Rev. Father in God William Lord Bishop of Chefter. 4to. Is. Payne,

Senfible, moderate, and abounding with useful reflections on the unhappy confequences of defpotic attempts to fubvert the natural or conftitutional rights of a people, on the one hand,—and on the mifchiefs arifing from the spirit of difcord, fedition, and fanaticifm, ex the other.

A

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the EDITOR of the MONTHLY REVIEW.

MONG the articles of Correfpondence for " January," there is one figned "Impartial," upon which I beg leave to make fome remarks. It is with reluctance, I own, that I offer to take up any part of a work, defigned for general information, with the concerns of a few individuals: but as the Monthly Reviews will most probably furvive many other publications, and perhaps become the refources for fupplying the historic page with accounts of men and things of the prefent times; no man would chufe to be there recorded as a tranfgreffor without caufe, though allowed by his antagonist to poffefs" a fuperior and amiable character."

Of Dr. Leeds, the cause of this difpute, I fhall only fay, the Fa culty at Edinburgh will not foon forget him; and the College of Phyficians in London, who at least are as good judges as Impartial, had not the moft favourable opinion of his abilities.

Of Impartial it may be justly faid, that in vindicating the arbitrators, he has paid no great compliment to the impartiality of that body of people to whom Dr. Fothergill belongs, when he fays, that "they fwerved from their common rules of procedure, fearing that "Dr. F. might not easily be induced to make a proper acknowledg

"ment,

"ment, fhould the complaint against him appear to be juft, and "confidering that his refufal fo to do muft fubject him to a folemn "cenfure."The accufation is as unjust to both parties, as it is invidious: the Society knows no man in judgment; and Dr. F. never gave them any room to doubt of a juft fubmiflion to the rules he fubfcribes to.-Impartial might have given a truer reafon ; but it would not have ferved the turn of mifreprefentation.

"An affair," fays Impartial, of which much has been faid, but "little known; and which might have paffed quietly to oblivion,

had not your Correfpondent recalled it into notice."-But fhould it not have been remembered who published the Appeal? If the Appeal had not been published, the Remarks had never appeared-and if Impartial could have restrained his pen, this Address would have been unneceflary.

The Public will perhaps be enabled to judge of the propriety with which Impartial affumes his character, when they are informed that the Appeal, which contains a mutilated, invidious, and partial account of the mifunderstanding between Drs. F. and L. was published (and, as it is fuppofed, by this impartial Correfpondent) precifely at a time, when he knew there was a profpect of diftributing his performance through every part of the nation; and at a time when he knew it was impoffible for Dr. Fothergill to make any reply to it, if he had thought one neceffary; viz. juft at the beginning of their yearly meeting in London, when the duties he owed to the Society were added to thofe of his profeffion.

Could any useful purpose be ferved by it, a full detail of this tranfaction, fupported by indubitable evidence, might be laid before the Public; and perhaps would, if there were the like evidence of what is but too strongly fufpected; viz. that those men have been the foremoft in exciting and fupporting this vexatious bufinefs, who had the leaft reafon of all others to engage in it; but who, acting behind the curtain, could not properly, without fuch evidence, be brought forward to receive the reward of their zeal in such a publication.

March 24, 1774.

To be CORRECTED. A mistake of the prefs, in our laft, p. 160.

AMICUS.

In the account of Dr. Henry's fermon, inftead of The importance and usefulness of divine revelation are here judiciously stated, enforced, and fhewn, &c.' read-The importance and usefulness of DIVINE REVELATION are here judiciously flated and enforced; and IT is fhewn to be the most effectual means, &c.

Our Readers will the more readily excufe fuch efcapes as may, particularly, occur in the last heet of each Review, when they are informed that we have not (fo near the day of publication) time fufficient for revifing the articles in that sheet.

*.* The continuation of the Philofophical Transactions, vol. Ixii. has, by unforeseen accidents, been too long delayed; but we truft nothing will prevent our refuming this article in our next number.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For A PRI L, 1774.
APRIL,

ART. I. Schola Italica Picture-The Italian School of Painting: confifting of Forty Prints, taken from the Works of all the great Italian Mafters; beginning with Michael Angelo, and ending with £ the Caracci. Executed under the Inspection of Mr. Hamilton, at Rome; by the most eminent Engravers. Folio. Grand Paper. 41. 14 s. 6 d. Published by Mr. Hamilton, 1773; and fold by Mr. Bell, in the Strand, London..

THE

HE prevailing taste of this nation for paintings, and clegant engravings, leaves us no room to doubt the welcome reception of this collection of beautiful prints, among the admirers and promoters of the fine arts; for, as a late writer has obferved, Italy is to the moderns, what Egypt was to the ancients: a country abounding not only with many natural curiofities, and the nobleft remains of antiquity, but with the richest productions of the polite arts: architecture, fculpture, painting, and mufic, having there been carried to the highest degree of perfection to which the ingenuity of mankind hath yet attained.

Most of these plates are, indeed, excellent performances and this publication is a proof that there are, at this time, engravers at Rome, who, to fay the least of their merit, are equal to any other artifts in Europe. We would here particularly diftinguish Dom. Gunego, and Volpato; whofe engravings from Tome capital paintings of the first mafters, are, we are tempted to fay, admirable, not only for the management of the tool, but for correctness of drawing.

The great artists whofe pencilled beauties are here reflected by the graver, are as follow, viz. Michael Angelo Buonaroti, Leonardo da Vinci, Fra. Bartolomeo, Andrea del Sarto, Rafael d'Urbino, Julio Romano, Polidoro, Parmegiano, Correggio, Barocci, Giorgioni, Titian, Paul Veronese, Tintorett, Baffan, Palma, the Caracci, Domenichino, Guido Reni, Guercino, Albano, Lanfranco, and Michael Angelo Caravaggio. VOL. L.

R

The

The general merit of the paintings produced by the cele brated masters above-mentioned, is fo well and fo univerfally known, that it would be fuperfluous to expatiate on them. In one respect, however, we cannot entirely approve of this felection from their works; for although Mr, Hamilton may, as a painter, have been fufficiently happy in his choice, yet we muft obferve, that the religion of the country hath, in our opi nion, led most of the Roman Catholic painters into some very improper representations. While we admire their masterly execu tion, we laugh at their legendary fubjects, their martyrdoms, and their marriages of faints: fo that where the artist intended to excite devotion in the mind of the fpectator, the object exhibited hath often produced a contrary effect.

But it is not merely to Chriftian fubjects that we object; fome of thofe afforded by the Old Teftament are, furely, unfit to appear on the canvas, or the plate. Here, for instance, is a pięce of Michael Angelo's, on the fall of man; and another by the fame mafter, on the formation of Eve, in which last is a very fine figure of an old gentleman, who might país extremely well for a Plato, or a Confucius, and attract our reverence; but when we confider it as a reprefentation of the -form and figure of the SUPREME BEING, "whom no eye hath "feen, or can fee," we are shocked at the prefumption of the -painter; and what was defigned to raise our conceptions to the utmoft height of fublimity, tends only to excite an idea extremely derogatory to the infinite majefty of the awful fubject.:

The levities of the Heathen deities, heroes, nymphs, and fatyrs, afford an ample and lefs exceptionable field for the exercife of the painter's imagination. Many of the metamorphofes in Ovid give no reasonable cause of offence either to the religion or the morality of the prefent times; and of thefe there are fome very beautiful representations in the noble collec

There are feveral other attempts to reprefent the Almighty in an human form, by their greatest painters; and fome of these pieces have been admired for their beauty and grandeur; but by what criterion are fuch performances judged?

66

The painters have endeavoured to vindicate their practice of reprefenting Divine Beings under human figures; and have pleaded the authority of the Old Teftament in general, and of Daniel's vifion in particular, viz. chap. viii. ver. 9. "I beheld till the thrones were caft down, and the ANCIENT OF DAYS did fit, whofe gar"ment was white as fnow, and the hair of his head like the pure "wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as bura❝ing fire." But how idle is it to quote fuch figurative personifi cations, and from thefe examples to paint the Invifible God like an old Patriarch, with a long beard, which, at the best, is but the refemblance of a man in the decline of life!