cularly in the fuppofition of a journey undertaken by the twe Maries in the evening of the fabbath; which, however, has been rejected as a fiction without fupport, by Grotius, and the learned author of fome Obfervations on Dr. Macknight's Harmony of the Gospels*. Mr. Weft and Dr. Macknight have likewife fuppofed that Peter made a fecond vifit to the fepulchre, and that the faft which is related by St Luke, chap. xxiv. 12. is different from that which is recorded by St. John, chap. xx. 6. which we fhall leave the reader to confider. If it should be alleged as an objection to this account, that Jefus is faid, Mark xvi. 9. to have appeared first to Mary Magdalene, our author replies, that prov may be understood in a relative sense; that it is to be fo interpreted, A&s xv. 14. for as Cornelius and his houfhold were certainly not the first converts to christianity, the apofile only means that they were converted at the first preaching of the gospel. In like manner, he fays, Mark may only mean, that our Saviour appeared to Mary at the firft, that is, foon after he was rifen. And indeed the appearances felected by this evangelift naturally lead us to understand the term @pwToy in reference to the time of the day when, rather than to the perfons to whom, he appeared. Jefus, faith he, having rifen early the first day of the week, appeared at the first to Mary Magdalene-after that, he appeared to two of them (about dinner time) at the last (at fupper time), he appeared unto the eleven. But whether he appeared first of all to Mary, or to the reft of the women, must be learned from the other gospels.' Many other paffages, relating to the refurrection of our Saviour, that feem to have the appearance of real difficulties, are confidered in the notes; and the reader muft at least allow that our author has avoided a needlefs multiplicity of journies and appearances, and thrown fome light on this obscure part of facred history. 18. An Antidote for the rifing Age, against Scepticism and Infidelity. 12mo. Pr. 1s. 6d. Longman. In thefe epiftles the author endeavours to account for the rife of fcepticism and infidelity, and to collect and calculate the weight of evidence on the fide of revelation.' He obferves, that inattention and immorality, the corruptions of popery, and the claims of fpiritual power among protestants, are the principal fources of unbelief. In answer to an objection alleged by the fceptic, he proves that the scriptures See Crit. Rev. vol. xix. p. 45. have not been corrupted, and tranfmitted to us by popish hands, but that a great number of copies have been preserved, in their original purity, by chriftians who have difowned and despised that apoftacy. He then proceeds to fhew, that the divinity of the gospel is difcernible in its firft addrefs, and that it is fufficiently attefted by external evidence. A revelation, he thinks, is inferrible from the original condition and the general depravity of mankind. Public inftitutions, he says, have been established as memorials of those facts which are recorded in the fcriptures; and fuch difcoveries of truth have been actually made, as could not be owing to the efforts of unaffifted reason. The moral fyftems of philofophers and lawyers, he infifts, are no refuge for infidelity; differences in opinion among learned men about the fenfe of the divine canon, the extravagances of popular fyftematic divinity, or the dreams of the predeftinarian, folifidian, &c. afford the unbeliever no excufe. Ten thousand abfurd opinions do not amount to the fbadow of a reafon why the gofpel doctrines fhould be called in queftion, either as to their divine evidence, or their everlafting importance; forafmuch as thefe extravagances have not been occafioned, either in this or in any past age, by a fair and rational examination of the written canon, but by the amazing folly and wantonnefs of men in forming their opi nions either upon their own wild conceits, or upon the whimfies and reveries of one another.' In the last letter he obferves, that a mechanical apparatus in the devotion of the church of Rome, draws away the mind from that fimplicity, purity, and fpirituality of worship which the gospel prescribes. We readily affent to the following words of this judicious author; The argument thus conducted on the fide of revelation, may, from its brevity, plainnefs, and freedom, be of ufe to remove the prejudices of fome against chriftianity, abate those of others, and, in younger minds, prevent that wrong train of ideas which is apt to lead to indifference, fcepticifin and infidelity.' 19. The Doctrine of Predeftination unto Life explained and vindicated. By William Cooper. I 2mo. Pr. s. 6d. Dilly. In the last century, abfolute predeftination was a favourite, topic among the diffenters; their meetings rang with the found of election and reprobation. Theology was hardly emerged out of darknefs, and the errors of Calvinifm were implicitly adopted. But in a little time, learned men of all denominations began to perceive that the doctrine abovementioned had no existence in the word of God; that predeftination, in the fcriptures, only fignifies God's defign to call the gentiles into his church; that the elect are, in general, the believing chri ftians; the reprobate, the unbelieving Jews; and that the apostle speaks of men nationally, not perfonally, in reference to their temporal, not his eternal state. Our author, however; undertakes to defend the doctrine of a perfonal election to ever lafting life. But he is a hundred years too late in his publi cation. Reasonable men have long fince bidden adieu to a religious system, confifting of human creatures without liberty, myfteries without fenfe, faith without foundation, and a God without mercy. 20. Mercantile Book-keeping: or, a Treatise on Merchants Accounts, according to the true Italian Method of Debtor and Creditor by double Entry, &c. By W. Everard. 8vo. Price 6s. Johnson As the principal intention of book-keeping, or merchants accounts, is to record the dealings and transactions of bufinefs in fuch an exact and accurate manner, that the true ftate of a merchant, factor, or agent's affairs, may, at any time, be known from his books; it follows, that every perfon concerned in mercantile affairs, fhould fpare no pains to make himself mafter of fo neceffary an art. But in order to this, it will be requifite, in the first place, to acquire a competent knowlege of the theory, as reafons on which the art is founded; as it will otherwife be very difficult, if not impoffible, to become a complete book-keeper. When we have once acquired an adequate idea of the principles of any art, we find very little difficulty in reducing them to practice, without burthening the mind with a multitude of rules and exceptions, the natural attendants of that prepofterous method of learning by rote. Fully fenfible of this important truth, the author before us has began with the theory, and explained the feveral parts of it in fo plain and concise a manner, that we are persuaded any perfon, of a common capacity, may, with very little study, become a complete mafter of the neceffary and ufeful art of book-keeping. After explaining the theory, Mr. Everard proceeds to the practical part, which he has rendered very eafy and familiar, by a confiderable number of judicious and well chofen examples : fo that, upon the whole, we cannot help confidering the work before us, as the most useful treatise of this kind we have hitherto seen. The very nature of this treatife will not admit of our making many intelligent abftracts, as the whole, like the elements of Euclid, is linked together, and the reasons of the several rules depend on one another. 21. The Will of a certain Northern Vicar. 4to. Pr. 6d. Bunce. As the wit of this performance is entitely local, and feems indeed to be included in certain initial letters and dafhes, which we cannot pretend to explain; we can only advise the reader who is anxious to understand the whole, to make a small trip in the first collier bound to Newcastle, where, perhaps, he may discover the originals against whom this fatire is directed. 22. Kimbolton Park: a Poem. Folio. Pr. 1s. Dodley. -, & ipfum Ludere, quæ vellem, calamo permifit agrefli.- Vir. Though there is not much variety in this landschape, we cannot help owning that the painting is executed with an elegant and a tender pencil; that is to fay, the verfe is well turned and harmonious; the defcription poetical, and intermingled with many agreeable touches of the pathos. The following apoftrophe, to the memory of Catherine of Spain, who died in this retreat, is very agreeable and affecting: When hapless England felt a tyrant's fway, And that fierce tyrant fell to luft a prey, In England then the fons of freedom flept, Where luft and tyranny oppress no more." 23. Free Thoughts on Love and Marriage. By Mr. Ingeldew. 4to. Pr. 1. Flexney. As this author piques himself upon his good humour, it would be pity to fay any thing that might tend to diminish it; * Catherine of Spain, during the latter part of the time of the divorce, retired to Kimbolton Caftle, where he died (it is fuppofed) of grief for the cruel treatment fhe received from Henry VIII, especially as any thing we could fay would have no effect in diverting him from his poetical amufements; for he tells us freely, My bufinefs (far from poetry alone) Nothing neglect, for while I run I write." This laft expreffion is a little equivocal, and ill-natured crí tics might put an invidious interpretation upon it, respecting the health of the poet; but we fhall only fuppofe that his occupation is to run literally on his own feet; as for his verfe, we apprehend, it might have been written standing on one foot, according to Horace, fians pede in uno. 24. A Key to the Law: or, an Introduction to Legal Knowledge: By Richard Hemsworth, Efq; 8vo. Pr. 1s. 6d. Webley. This feems to be an excellent horn-book for the lawyers, and we recommend it, in the long vacation- time, to be got by heart by every young templer who hopes to make a figure in his profeffion, and who wishes to speak on matters of law with clearnefs and precifion. -- 25. Centaary, the great Stomachic: its preference to all other Bitters; in that it gives an Appetite and good Digeftion, and neither heats nor binds the Body. By J. Hill, M.D. 8vo. Pr. 6d. Baldwin, This great botanist is making daily difcoveries for the good of the public. He invented the Effence of Water-Dock, and the Balfam of Honey; but the reputation of these fpecifics, seems to be a little out at elbows, at prefent. His Tincture of Valerian has proved a fheet-anchor, for no other purpose that we know, but because he told us in his pamphlet on that fubject, that in making it, he rejected the very kind of root in which all the rest of the faculty fuppofed its medical virtue chiefly abounded, viz. the fort that has the ftrong flavour refembling that of oak bark, used in tanners pits; that flavour which attracts so powerfully the sense of smelling in cats; the effect of a fætid, vegetable oil, or fpirit, which is in fact the 'very medicinal effence of the root.-Now, this.ftrong fmelling root, our fagacious doctor fays he rejected, in favour of the other kind, which has little or no fmell at all. We do not doubt, but iq time, he will make a new tincture of afa fætida upon the fame principles. As for his improvement in the article of Centaury, which he ftiles The great Stomachic, we can only laugh at the pa rade with which it is introduced.We have a right to laugh, becaufe we believe, in our confciences, it is a very harmless piece of empiricism, |