youth, while the young men of the new college of Hackney are only the rifing youth.' It feems alfo by their being confined to a note, that they had been very nearly forgotten.

Mr. Lindley examines the teftimony of each evangelift, and herthink the different paffages neither feprately nor together amount to a proof of our Saviour's divinity. But what thall we fay to our author's candour, when he afferts (p. 11.) that' there are but two paffiges in St. Matthew's Gospel, that carry even the appearance of Chrift being to be deemed originally any other than a human creature,'-viz. Matthew i. 23. and xxvii. 19. We need only compare Matthew i. 20. with iii. 17. and afk Mr. Lindley whether this interpretation from Luke iii. 38. and John iii. 1. and 2. will explain thefe texts? If we want any farther teftimony, let us turn on to Matthew xxvi. 63, and 64. The opinion of the high-prift on this fubject follows in the 65th verfe. This is not the only inftance of difingenuity in the reprefentations of Mr. Lindfer; and whatever may be faid in the new commercial int rcourse of praife, our author may be affured, that every critic who follows him with care will entertain the fame opinion. After the examination of the tettimonies of the evangelift, according to his own mode of interpretation, he proceeds to the corruption of the true doctrine, which he attributes to Juftyn Martyr, and he traces the progress of the error doan to Eufebius. In the next chapters he proceeds to the doctrines of the apostles, the errors of copyifts, and the mistranslations in the English Bible; the two laft intended, in his opinion, to fupport the doctrine of the Trinity.,

The Divinity of Chrift proved from his own Declaration, attested and interpreted by his living Witnesses, the Jews. A Sermon, preached before the University of Oxford, at St. Peter's, February 28, 1790. By Thomas Burgefe, M. A. 4to.. 4to. 15. 15. Riving

tons.

We are not a little flattered by this Sermon of Mr. Burgefst we long fince hinted, that from the circumstances of the death of Chrift, it was evident that the Jews confidered him as incul-" cating at leaft his own divinity, if not his equality with the Father; and we had occafion to expand this idea in our review of Dr. Priestley's Ecclefiaftical History, as well as to connect it with the martyrdom of Stephen, which pointedly illuftrates, and is illuftrated by it. Mr. Burgefs, with his ufual energy," perfpicuity, and ability, pursues the fame idea to a greater ex tent and with greater force; and we think it incumbent on Dr. Preftley to examine this Sermon with more than ufual_clofenefs and care. We could wish that Mr. Burgels or Mr. Porfon would engage at length in this controverfy, and without inlifting on the more minute and lefs decifive arguments, connect, by the more striking links, the doctrine of Chrift, the fentiments of the apofiles, and the apoftolic fathers. As we have gone over this ground, we are fure that it is ftable and fecure; we are certain

094

alfo,

alfo, that on the foundation of genuine criticifm and accurate difcrimination, the Socinian doctrine cannot be fupported.

It has been fuggefted by an' able critic, that our Saviour (John x. 336.) has himfelf explained what he means by the Son of God, and that he seems to understand by it, him to whom the word of God cometh. The prophecy alluded to, probably, is that of David, (Pfalm lxxxii. 6.) but if we examine the conteft the difficulty vanishes. The Jews were preparing to ftone Jefus because he had faid that my Father and I are one, which they interpreted, because thou being a man makeft thy felf God.' This is strongly in favour of the doctrine of our church and the arguments of our author. Chrift, however, expoftulates with them, for the fulness of time was not yet come, nor were thofe things fulfilled of which it was written. Our Saviour, we say, expoftulates with the Jews Do you not, in your law, call thote Gods, to whom the word of God cometh? for you cannot deny, that it is thus written, and do you call me a blafphemer becaufe I faid I was the Son of God.' Chrift was acknowledged by the Jews to be a propher, and his own declarations did not amount to what their law called a prophet. Nothing can be clearer than this argument, and nothing we think more indecifive, than the conclusion which has been attempted to be drawn from it.

We cannot follow Mr. Burgefs' arguments particularly, and perhaps there are two or three which we think too open to a reply; but on the whole he has reafoned with great ability and fuccefs; not only in the more general ftyle of a preacher, but in the more acute character of a critic, in the notes which are fubjoined. Indeed this fpecimen of his judgment and abilities has led us to wifh with much eagerness that he would profecute the fubject at greater extent.

The Contrafor, the Hiftory of James and Thomas. A Tale. Written for the Use of Sunday-Schools, 12mo. 6d. Scatcherd and Whitaker.

The story is told in a plain and proper flyle; and the moral is strictly good. This little work is very properly adapted to the benevolent inftitution for which it was defigned.

Swedenborg Triumphant; or, Intelligence Extraordinary from New Jerufalem being Pious and Political Dialogues of the Living with the Dead. Communicated by Peregrinus Spiritualis. Sve. 2s. 6d. No Publifher's Name.

Our new Myftic introduces us to the Elyfian Shades, where Dr. Refponfible Spy, (fuppofed to be a court phyfician, who, during the king's late illness, profeffed himfelf to be a Spy') though not dead, arrives on a vifit, and a characteriflic and pleafant dialogue enfues with count Struenfee on the subject of the king's illnefs, the various political events of that æra, and the conduct of the phyficians, who fometimes loft fight of their patient, expecting to gratify his fucceffor. The different arts

employed

employed to introduce young practitiones into notice are alfo enumerated; and though the dialogue is undoubtedly too long, it entertained us very highly. The fatire is, however, fometimes too perfonal and pointed; and the author feems not to be fally acquainted with the whole mystery of puffing, or fome of the events of the king's illness. He is evidently millaken in its nature, There are lome philofophical and fome religious far-` cafms, for as Struenfee was a Deist, it is in character.” The latter are not, however, offenfive.

If the author was to be tried, one of the counts in his indictment fhould be a libel against Hippocrates and Celfus, for their fuppofed opinions are neither judicious or applicable to the cafe

before them.

True Heavenly Religion reflored, and demonfirated upon eternal
Principles. With a Call to Chriftians of Higher Senfe. By a
Philofopher of the North.
12mo. 15. Johnfon.

This is a fyllabus of the Swedenborgian doctrine, which, fo far as it is intelligible, depends on incoherent rhapsodical admiration of divine order. Our author is more than ufually clear and confiftent on this fubject: we fear he will bring the fyftem down to the level of common understandings, and it will then be rejected with contempt,

An Exhortation to devout Behaviour in the Church, during the Time of Divine Service. A Sermon. By the Rev. J. Twen tyman. 8vo. 6d. Longman.

A fubfcription to a fermon is not common; but a lift, where on an average, each perfon fubfcribes for thirteen copies, is extraordinary. The circumstances were probably fo, for the Sermon itself is plain, pious, and practical, without pretending either to elegance, to ingenuity, or novelty.

The Influence of Confience, and the Credibility of a future State of Retribution, confidered: being the fubftance of Iwo Difcourfes delivered in the Cathedral Church of Winchefter, at the Lent and Summer Affize of the prefent Year 1790. 4to. 25. Robbins, Winchester.

The latter fubject, as it ought, precedes; but the Sermons are independent of each other, and when they were connected in a continued chain of argument, the reality, indeed the neceffity of a future state, fhould be at firft fhown. The Sermons feem to have been elegant, judicious, and practical; but the subjects are fo common as to admit of little novelty in a popular difcourfe. To enforce the ufual topics with energy, perfpicuity, and propriety, must have been the preacher's chief object, and this he feems to have fully attained.

POETRY.

King Afa, a Poem, in fix Books, founded on 1 Kings xv. 11. &c. By T. May. 8vo. 25. Dilly.

This hero and his exploits are, we fear, but little known to

:

our poetical readers in general but to thofe who, as Fluct
lin fays, pray their piple well,' the old king of Judah is of
courfe a much more intimate acquaintance. They will, how
ever, we believe, concur in opinion with us (though no allufion
is made to his disease, in which he fought not to the Lord but
to the physicians'), that his atchievements do not afford the
most promifing fubject for an heroic poem; at least such mate-
rials as were likely to be difpofed of with tolerable propriety by
a youth of eighteen: fuch, we find by the conclusion of the latt
book, is the author's age. It is made known to us indced in a
very peculiar manner; for from the first line in the fimile, the
fame with that well known one in Addif n's Camp ign, which
is there followed by five others, we were led to expect a more
laboured conclufion; and we could fcarcely determine at first
whether he alluded to his own age or that of the angel's.
Aloft, triumphant, in his dreadful car,

He clear'd the field, and clos'd the mighty war;
As when an angel, by divine command,

Pours devaftation round a finful land.'-Etatis 18.

The first book concludes in a manner fomewhat fimilar, excepting that here the ambiguity is caufed by an idea of the devil's age.

Thus fpoke the fiend, th' infernal peers rejoice,

His worth proclaim, and dignify their choice.Etatis 15. As Mr. May propofes publishing an octavo volume of poems on various fubjects by fubfcription, we would advife him to poftpone the uthering it into the world for at least the fame length of time as paffed between his completing the first and the laft book of the prefent poem. His mufe as well as himself, it is to be prefumed, will then arrive at the age of difcretion, and their future union may produce a more promising offspring. He has evidently read many of our best poets, particularly Milton, with attention; but fuch machinery as he has ventured to introduce could be wielded with fuccefs by Milton alone. We can fcarcely indeed acquit him of prefumption; and almost tremble when the Almighty and the Meffiah are brought forward as interlocutors in the fcene; our terror, we allow, generally ends in admiration but when Mr. May ventures perfonally to introduce them, we cannot but feel fenfati ns of a very different nature. We mean not to infinuate that this is a very reprehenfible performance, or that the author is deuitute of poetcal abilities. His numbers are not, in general devoid of harmony, nor his mind of invention; but he has attempted a subject far beyond his ftrength; he ap cars to have over-rated his powers, and not to have been entirely ignorant as to

Quid valeant humeri, quid ferre.recufant.

Original Mifcellaneous Poems. 8vo. 35. Boards. Sael. Mifcellaneous poems, unlets recommended by the name of fome eminent author prefixed, feldom attract the notice of the

public,

public. The prefent is unknown, at least to us, and we fufpect there will be but little folicitude expreffed, or exertions made ufe of towards his discovery. It is, however, a hard case for a man's labours to be condemned to oblivion from the æra of their existence, and without its being ever afcertained that they met either with a just or unmerited cenfure, We shall therefore briefly notice to the reader the contents of this little volume, in cafe any of the fubjects on which it treats should ex'The Bachelor's cite his curiosity or inclination to perufe it. Choice. The Female Choice, in anfwer, a Burlesque. The Bachelor's Confolation, ditto, occationed by the late tax.-On Lunardi's and Dr. Graham's Balloon and Earth-bathing Exhibitions, an ironical Eulogy.-Eccentricity, an irregular piece.

Fafhion, a Satire.Elogy on the rev. J. Fletcher.-Three Epitaphs,-Patience, an Ode.-Panegyrical Critique on Dr. Young's Night Thoughts.-Virtue, an Ethic Poem; and the Supreme Good, a Vition.' The opening of the Ode to Eccentricity will fhew, that whatever faults the writer may poflefs, a want of imagination is not to be claffed among them.

Shall I, who erst on hackney'd themes to fing,
Exhaufted the fond mufe, now daring foar,
And borne on more than Pegafean wing,

The wilds of Eccentricity explore?

Ah! me, unequal to the tafk I feel,
What living wight thy effence can reveal?
Unfung by loftieft poet's ftrains,

Thy theme, a fubject yet untouch'd remains.
If to my wond'ring ken thy form is brought,
Soon it eludes the niceft grafp of thought;
So mercury, obvious to our eyes,

Courts the touch, yet from it flies;

Let but the hand to fix it once be found,

Quick fly the fubtle particles, and diffipate around.
As fpirits volatile, when uncomprefs'd,

Evaporate away,

So, vain, would I thy wand'ring course arreft,
Thy features to portray:

Proteus, the emblem, could thy form declare,
Thy multifarious forms he only wore,
Transform'd, thou canst a thoufand afpects wear,
And yet referve unfeen, ten thousand more!
But fay, what art thou? What thy myftic name?
Or haft thou name, or art thou effence pure?
Or form substantial dost thou juftly claim,

Or abftract being ever to endure?

Or art thou but an image of the mind,
From midnight vifions fprung a phantom blind?
Or nature's felf, in all her varied modes,

Wide ranging through creation's vast extent;

Or caufe unknown, elanc'd from dark abodes,

Effects producing strange, and wonderous each event?"

The