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as not being lefs wicked; but he is of a contrary opinion; which to fupport, he introduces the ftory of Job, who, though one of the best men in the world, and a favorite of Heaven, was afflicted with the cruelleft tortures, by the Divine appointment, in order to try him. He feems to think an Auto de fè now and then very neceffary, to punish the apoftatizing Jews of Portugal; and while on the subject of apoftacy, takes an opportunity to speak of Ad Bw. in terms, which, it has been fince proved he richly deserved, tho fheltered by a C-n―r of the Ex-q—r.

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Suppofe an Englishman should take himself to Rome in a fit of defpair; embrace Popery there for a morfel of bread; turn Jefuit for conveniency; and vow eternal celibacy to God for temporal preferment: fuppofe the rage of difappointment, or the calls of the flesh, fhould bring him back to London: though he declared himself a Proteftant more from hunger than confcience; rather railed against Papifts to impofe upon Proteftants, than from averfion to Popery; and, with religion on his tongue, cherished impiety in his principles; while he gave us no proofs to the contrary, we might think of him favourably. But furely he could not hope to steal into our esteem, by impofing on our understandings, with palpable falfhoods and abfurd self-elations. He might palm upon us, for a while, a common country-fchool-mafter, for a profeffor of eloquence; a little Italian feminary, for a grand univerfity; nay, and even a Jefuit, for (what a Jefuit never can be) an Inquifitor. They are impoftures we are not obliged to see into. But furely he could never expect to gain our esteem, by violating, in complaifance to the flesh, a folemn promife made to God: nor could he, methinks, hope by fuch perfidy to pay his court to the Church of England; a Church (as the late Archbishop of York wifely remarked to another petticoat profelyte) whofe moderation, by obliging none either to marry or live fingle, does not thereby mean to encourage infidelity and breach of vows made to the Great Creator, whom all churches adore.

And yet fuch a one might be winked-at, while he left us the · power of winking. Till the impoftor were detected, we might think him found at heart, however touched in the head. But if time discovered him in the end to be a hypocrite and a cheat: if he appeared to have two ftrings to his bow: if, not content with vaunting honours he never poffeffed, in hopes of acquiring an < esteem he wanted merit to earn ;-not content with defaming the party he difowned, the better to betray the fide he profeffed, and Judas-like impofe upon both;-not content with telling abfurd fables of felf-commendation to fifty different perfons, fifty different ways, and ftiffly denying them all, when he had done:-If not content, fay, with all this, he broke his promife to God, and his faith to two churches; privately fued for favour to Jefuits, while publickly difclaiming all intercourfe with them; and fecretly wrote for and courted the abfolution of Popes, while he openly abufed them in print; could fuch a prevaricating caitiff deferve credit from man, or favour from heaven? must we not • disbelieve all he said, miftruft all he did, and suspect all he mean'd? What!

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What! though the lenity of our laws might fuffer such a wretch to enjoy fuch diffimulation with corporal impunity; could his own hardened confcience fecure him from felf-condemnation; or our stupidity protect him from merited infamy? is there a mortal of fenfe, with a heart ftill untainted by the rot of hypocrify, and a mind still ungulled by the illufions of prejudice, but muft ⚫ condemn the threefold impoftor to everlasting contempt?'

Our author concludes with a miferable letter, burlesquing the ftyle and manner of fome merchant fettled at Lisbon, with whom this draw-canfir chuses to be angry.

Art, 17. Ode on the prefent Times. 4to. Pr. 6d. Dodsley.

This piece was published before war was declared against France; that the verfification is easy and spirited, will appear from these two ftanzas.

They err, who doubt if Rome's imperial frame

• Was virtue's toil, and dream that chance alone
Bow'd to her yoke the haughty Latian name,
• Dafh'd Mithridates from his Pontick throne,
The Macedonian wreath from Philip won,

And crushed the Punick pride, and fierce Amilcar's fon.

• On firmer bafis rofe her great domain :

Of faith, of temperance deaf to pleasure's charms,
Of justice, patience, ftern contempt of pain,
Of ftrength in councils, fortitude in arms,
The world's fubjected empire was the prize,

• And nature's boundaries theirs, the ambient sea and skies.

Were the fentiments of these ftanzas properly confidered by Britons, they would roufe from their prefent apathy, break through the filken bands of pleasure that confine them; and exerting the virtuous fpirit of their ancestors, make the Gallic Monarch once more tremble on his throne.

Art. 18. An Efay on the Prefent State of our Publick Roads Shewing the abfolute Neceffity of a total Prohibition of the Ufe of Narrow Wheels, on all Carriages drawn by more than One Horfe Lengthways. And the Benefit that will accrue thereby to Farmers and Carriers, to Trade and Manufactures, as well as Eafe, Pleafure, and Safety to Travellers. 8vo. Pr. 6d.

Baldwin.

The author of this little pamphlet is a zealous advocate for Broad Wheels, which he with great justice obferves, must be of the utmoft fervice to our Roads, Farmers, Carriers, Travellers, to our Trade and Manufactures, and in fhort, to the Kingdom in general: he quotes the authority of a dealer in Coals, who informed him that four horfes will draw two chaldron of coals eafier with broad wheels, than three did one chaldron with narrow ones: notwith

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ftanding all which fuperior and manifeft advantages, our author remarks, that most of our Farmers are like the Hottentots, who have always lived in filth and naftinefs, and chufe to continue in it, being generally as obftinate as the Irish, who formerly used to draw their Ploughs by the horfes tails, till they were compelled to use harneffes by act of Parliament. The pamphlet concludes with an encomium on the Highgate road, the only one on which broad wheels are much ufed, and which our author affures us has not a rut to be feen upon it: He therefore humbly hopes, that the Legislature will intirely prohibit the use of narrow wheels; in which honeft with we heartily concur with him for the benefit of the whole Community.

Art.19. Heliocrene: A Poem, in Latin and English, on the Chalybeate Well, at Sunning-Hill, in Windfor Foreft. 4to.

The author of this little piece, who is it feems, in humble imitation of his patron god Apollo, both Phyfician and Poet, having experienced the medicinal virtues of the mineral waters at SunningHill, thought himself bound in honour and gratitude to immortalize them in verse; and hath accordingly fung their praises both in Latin and English. The Latin is about the pitch of a fourth form exercife at Westminster fchool, and the English translation (which, like moft tranflations, keeps its diftance, and is ftill worse than the original) might be of fervice to a Bell-man in his Christmas collecWe fhall prefent the reader with a fhort fpecimen of both.

tion.

Fas erit hanc nulli mufarum evertere fedem,

Quæ fibi cuftodes numina bina tenet,
Hos tutantur enim mufis et Apolline dignos
Fœdere conjuncti Mars & Apollo lares.
Monte procul nubes atras fugat incola Phabus,
Nomen ubi & numen vult habitare fuum.
Hic etiam Martis (morbos depellere præfens)
Fonte falutifero vis Panacea latet.

Ye mufes, in thefe bleft abodes,
• Protected by two guardian gods,
• Where Mars and Phabus both combine
In your defence, for ever fhine.

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While Phoebus fhall this favour'd hill,
Where dwells his name, with luftre fill,

Mars here thall guard it, and difpel

Distempers from the facred Well.'

We cannot fee any reafon for lifting Mars into the service in joint command with Apollo, as we do not remember thofe deities were ever very intimate with each other. Nor without the note under the word Mars, fhould we have readily entered into the conceit of it.

Though our author hath thought fit to compare Heliocrene to He

The name by chemifts given to steel.

licon

licon, we cannot immediately find out the exact fimilitude between them, and should rather be of opinion with Horace, that

Nulla placere diu, nequæ vivere carmina possunt
Qua fcribuntur aqua potoribus.

Art.20. The Polite Modern Divine: or, The most fashionable Me thod of performing the Publick Offices of Religion, proved to be defective, and productive of feveral Confequences prejudicial to Chriftianity, and the Peace, Happiness, and Glory of the Nation. The Whole fet in a new and more perfuafive Light than has hitherto been. To which is prefixed, An Humble Dedication to the Moft Reverend Father in God his Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury. By Samuel Angier, Author of the new and concife Art of teaching Pronunciation. 8vo. Pr. I s. Reeve.

Mr. Angier, who is by profeffion vulgarly called a Stuttering Mafer, or, according to his own phrafe, Author of the new and concife Art of teaching Pronunciation, fets up in the production before us for a Cenfor Morum, or general reformer, and inveighs very bitterly in about fifty pages against the preachers of the prefent age, whofe tone, countenance and gefture, he can by no means approve : The whole is fuch rambling incoherent ftuff, that we shall not trouble our readers with any quotations but the following, which will be fufficient to fhew what fort of enthufiafts Mr. Angier belongs to, and for what purpofe the pamphlet was written.

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It has been common to turn out minifters, or deny them preaching, when they held any doctrine repugnant to the Articles of that Church to which they belonged; but that was always done, either by virtue of fome Law or Canon of fome ftanding, or a new one to fupprefs a rifing herefy; but Mr. Whitfield feems to be the firft that the clergy of a whole nation agreed to prevent preaching, without ever proving he had broken either the ecclefiaftical, moral, or national Law; and they not only deny him preaching, but (peak of him as the most contemptible of mankind, infomuch that his life is even in danger from Churchmen, when he is performing the duties of the Church, fo that the Church perfecutes the Church.

As Mr. Whitfield profeffes himself of the Church, reads the • Ceremonies of the Church, and preaches doctrines agreeable to •her Articles, and it never was proved, that he has been guilty of any vice or immorality that could render him unworthy of being a minifter; nay, as no perfon ever attempted to prove him a he retic, either in opinion or practice, it is very odd, that he should receive fuch treatment from his brethren; for if he has offended the law, let him be punished by the law, but if the law has no punishment to inflict on him, he has committed no tranfgreffion; ⚫ and therefore to perfecute him contrary to law, is what renders his perfecutors obnoxious to the law.

'Mr.

Mr. Whitfield's chief crime was, that he seemed to be in earneft both in reading prayers and preaching; this was what brought him a large audience, and that was what made his brethen, who had not fo many people to follow them, angry; they by their polite familiar method had preached away their congregations, ⚫ and he by a grave, ferious, and reverent delivery, induced them to follow him where-ever he preached; this raised a jealousy in them, left he fhould acquire more reputation than they, which ⚫ was not the cafe of only one or two, but of most of that body; and this is plain to a demonstration, they only waited for an op⚫portunity to fhew their refentment, all feemed agreed to do it, but • none chofe to be first, but as foon as one had begun, the reft joined with one confent, and denied him preaching in their churches. Should it be objećted, his doctrine is different from what most ⚫ church minifters preach, I fhall readily grant it; but yet there are fome minifters who preach the fame, without being treated as they have treated him; and as that is the cafe, it is plain, that nothing prevents him but his being fo much in earneft, in preffing the people to a compliance with their duty towards God and Religion, which has had more effect on them, than the polite familiar method I have so often mentioned already.'

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Art. 21. A Sermon preached in Lambeth Chapel, at the Confecration of the Right Reverend Fathers in God, John, Lord Bishop of Bristol, and John, Lord Bishop of Bangor, on Sunday, July 4, 1756. By John Spry, B. D. Archdeacon of Berks. 8vo. Pr. 6 d. Fletcher.

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The Archdeacon feems to be one of those paradoxical Divines who love to fhew their ingenuity in the choice of odd texts, from which, by a kind of ecclefiaftical dexterity of hand, they draw forth fome latent meaning, in all appearance contradictory to the original intention of them: This Sermon, which like most other Sermons on fuch occafions, is defigned to compliment the new-made Bishops, is on the following remarkable words of St. John, How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and feek not the honour that cometh from Gad only?' The man who had a mind to ridicule Epifcopacy could not certainly have chofen a text more appofite to his purpose: but herein confifts the merit of our Archdeacon, who by dint of irrefiftible argument turns this poifon into an antidote, and proves, firft, that the defire of the honours of this world is not fimply evil; that, fecondly, if it is pursued with the neglect of that honour which cometh from God, then, and then only, it becomes criminal; but the honours of Epifcopacy are honours of apoftolical inftitution, and therefore innocent, honours, befides, in a strict propriety coming from God only: If then a defire of the honours of this world, is not fimply evil, can any reafon be affigned, why it fhould be reputed fo, in the cafe before us? For, where the object of purfuit is innocent, and the measures applied no other than juftifiable; and efpecially, where the noted criterion is wanting, appealed to by our Bleffed Saviour, the evident traces of ir

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