"I am not folicitous to draw any parallel to this detail. I use it: merely as an occafion to remind you, in general, of the prefent fituation of our Ifrael; and to lead you to fuch reflections, as may promote the purpose of thus affeinbling before God in prayer and humiliation; that in his great mercy he may heal our wounds, and avert the evils with which we are threatened,

"We are at this day, not indeed at the conclufion, poffibly but at commencement of a civil war. It hath already proved far more obitinate, far more afflicting and alarming, than at firft our pride faffered us to fufpect: and from this "beginning of frife" the most bitter wa ters have already gushed out.. Oce tribe, however divided from us by fituation, yet of our own language and people, influenced, I do not fay by what motives, hath avowed, and feems to glory in its fepara tion. In a contest, however raised and inflamed, the appeal hath been made to heaven; and the decifion feems, even yet, by no means fo compleat, as to afford good ground for confidence and fecurity. It is not the bufinefs of the prefent hour, to fpeculate on the causes and occafions of this conteft. In the time of our vifitation, we are to confider only that we have been vifited. There is an inteftine war; the empire is rent; men's paffions are inflamed; their fentiments various; their affections divided; the immediate state of things alarming;, the future profpect melancholy; but one event defirable, a speedy and efectual reconcilement.

"It is not for the Chriftian to be dazzled by the fplendour of a bloody victory; to exult in the miferies of unoffending thousands, crushed by an unnatural and grievous conflict. It is not for the Chriftian to flatter men's paffions, to echo their animofities, to" fpeak evil of dignities," or virulently of his fellow-fubjects. When the iword is drawn, he looketh up to that power, by whom it is appointed for chaftisement and terrour. His language is the pathetic language of the Prophet: O thou fword of the Lord, how long ere thou be quiet! Put thyfelf into thy fcabbard, reft, and be ftill." His heart's defire and prayer to God must be, that he who ruleth the hearts of princes, who giveth counsellors wifdom, and restraineth the madnets of the people, may arife and help us; affwage our animofities, avert our dangers, fheathe the weapon of the deftroyer, and make us all to know and fee the real happiness of all, Reconciliation and Peace.”

In this truly chriftian fpirit of reconciliation and peace our excellent preacher proceeds to explode the national vices; which may be fuppofed juftly to have brought on us the prefent judgment of eninity and war.

"But," fays he," it is grievous to dwell on fuch objects.-Yet, let me mention one vice, fpread, countenanced, and favoured, in these nations. I mean the paffion for cenfure and reviling, and the tremendous abufe of liberty, for an occafion to revenge and malice, infolence, and pride, or perhaps fome clandeftine purpofe of felf-intereft. The period is in the memory of many among us, when this fury burit from its ufual concealments, and raised the head with undifguifed im pune. We know that its virulence has been fhed on every characeer, even the most exalted. In the elevated icenes of life, in the dif

cuffion

cuffion of public conduct and public characters, we are told that fuch offences must come. But we know that in inferior districts and communities, the odious and contemptable have awkwardly imitated this licence; and that fcarcely in any retirement, can the moft unoffending be affured of enjoying the peace of private life, or the honeft difcharge. of his focial duties, when there are vehicles to convey to public view, the wantonness or malice of any one man who wishes to disturb his peace,-I afk not why the vigour of government hath not been exerted. to crush thefe ferpents. I enquire not into the propriety of those max-~ ims or modes of policy, by which they have been fuffered to exhaust their own venom: till the indifcriminate rage of cenfure hath, at length, deprived it of its sting; and the innocent and guilty alike are taught to defpife the impotence of its hiflings."

A dreadful, but too true an effect of the prefent licentious abuse of the prefs; which we are fo often called upon to reprehend !

A Sermon on the late General Faft, preached at Gray's-Inn Chapel, on Friday, Dec. 13, 1776. By Henry Stebbing, D. D. 8vo. Is. Flexney..

Proper without peculiarity, except that fome may think Dr. Stebbing a little uncharitably fevere on the poor deluded Ames:

ricans.

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A Sermon preached before the University of Oxford, on Friday, Dee. 13, 1776, being the Day appointed for a General Faft. By Myles Cooper, LL. D. 4to. 15. Rivington.

Dr. Cooper very judiciously obferves, that when men's principles are wrong, their practices will feldom be right. This is an undoubted truth; it will bear, however, much difpute, whether he has applied it properly in his practical reflections on the present state of political affairs.

A Sermon preached on Friday, Dec. 13, 1776. By William Carpenter, D. D. 4to. 6d. Robinfon.

A well-meaning practical difcourfe, tending to fhew that repentance and amendment of life are the only means of reconciling ourselves to God, and deferving the protection of divine providence.

A fincere, general and conflant Reformation of Manners, recommended, in a Sermon, preached at Eling in Hants, on Friday the 13th of December, 1776; being the Day appointed for a General Faft. By the Rev. Philip Le Brocq, M. A. Čurate of Eling. 4to. IS. Baker.

Among other objects of complaint and regret, Mr. Le Brocq very juftly laments, what may be called the characterif tic vice of the age, hypocrify; a vice of all others the most odious and deteftable in the eyes both of God and Man.

A Ser

A Sermon preached at the Parish-church of Newbery, Berks, Dec. 13, 1776, being the Day appointed for a Public Faft. By the Rev. Thomas Penrofe. 4to. 15. Davis.

A powerful perfuafive to the prefervation of peace and goodwill among men.

Two Sermons preached Dec. 13, 1776, being the Day appointed for a General Faft. By the Rev. Richard de Courcy. 8vo. 15. Robinfon

A pious differtation on the nature and efficacy of fafting, with the peculiar propriety of feeking the Lord, in the day of diftrefs.

The beft Method of putting an End to the American War, Being the Subftance of a Sermon preached Dec. 13, 1776, the Day of the General Faft. By Gradock Glafcott, A. M. Svo. 3d. Mathews.

This beft method appears to be the pious effufion of fome rhapfodical methodist.

A Sermon preached Dec. 13, 1776, the late Day of National Humiliation, to a Congregation of Proteftant Diffenters By Newcome Cappe. 8vo. 6d. Johnfon.

An animated and pathetic difcourfe, exceptionable only in being too much perhaps in favour of the Americans.

God's Departure from a People, the most dreadful Judgment.Preached to a Congregation of Proteftant Diffenters at BethnalGreen. By John Kello. 8vo. 6d. Buckland.

God's departure from a people is certainly the most dreadful judgment that can befall them: but we think it a want of judgment in our modern fermonizers, to represent the Deity as fo capricious and revengeful a being, as too many of them are apt to do.

Serious Reflections addreffed to all Parties, on the prefent flate of American Affairs-Preached at Chefbunt in Hertfordshire. By P. Worley. 8vo. 6d. Buckland.

Mr. Worley here paints with a lively pencil the horrors of a civil war, and as devoutly prays that our unhappy differences with America may foon be adjusted.

A Short,

d Short, Plain Difcourfe, delivered in the Parish Church of Lambourn, in Berks. By the Rev. J. Smith, Vicar. 8vo. 6d. This difcourfe is, indeed, fo plain, that he who runs may read, and so short that he need not run faft to be very foon at the end of it. It has a propriety in it, however, which is wanting in many longer difcourfes; the author very probably proceeding on the antient adage, fo very apt on all critical occafions," the leaft faid is fooneft mended."

The Denunciation of Christ against Jerufalem confidered and ap plied. Preached in the Parish Church of St. Michael Carnhill. By R. P. Finch, D.D. Rector of that Parish. 4to. 6d. Rivington.

An application of a portion of Scripture more pious and general, than the prefent partial occafion may seem to require.

A Sermon preached before the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in the Abbey Church at Westminster, Nov. 5, 1776. By John Lord Bishop of Rochester. 4to. 6d. Dodiley.

A good-enough bishop's-fermon on fo trite and hacknied occafion as the gunpowder plet.

The Love of Mankind the Fundamental Principle of the Chriftian Religion. Preached before the Gentlemen Natives of the County of Somerset, at their Annual Meeting in the Church of St. Mary, Redcliff, Bristol, Sept. 16, 1776. By John Langhorne, D.D. Rector of Blaydon, Somerfetfhire. 4to. Is. Bicker.

Every thing in this world feems to be turned topfy-turvy by the tafty writers of this refined age. Thus the natives of Zumerzet-zbire, zhure, are all become gentlemen; and what is more extraordinary, the fundamental principle of the Christian religion, which was heretofore univerfally said to be the Love of God, is dwindled down to the Love of Man !-Egregious Dr. John Langhorne!

The Power of Christianity over the malignant Paffions, afferted, the real Caufes of Perfecution among Chriftians, and the true Grounds of mutual Forbearance in Religious Opinions explained: -Before the University of Cambridge, Nov. 3, 1776. By Samuel Cooper, D. D. formerly Fellow of Magdalen College. 4to. 1s. Woodyer, Cambridge. Becket, &c. London. A truly religious and moral discourse.

Encouragements

Encouragements promifed to Reformation-Before the Governors of the Magdalen Hofpital, May 2, 1776. By Robert Markham,

D. D. Rector of St. Mary's, Whitechapel. 6d. Rivington.

We are glad to find Dr. Markham not fo uncharitably fe vere on the poor penitent proftitutes, as we have sometimes heard a certain divine; who now lays claim to the compafhion even of Magdalens.

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A Sermon preached at St. Paul's, New-York, Sept. 22, 1776. Being the first Sunday after the English Churches opened on Gèneral Howe's taking Poffeffion of the Town, &c. By the Rev. Mr. O'Beirne, Chaplain to Lord Howe. Published at the Requeft of the Congregation. 6d. Beecroft, &c.

It would be ftrange if a fermon, preached on fuch an occafion, were not politically loyal, as well as religiously or thodox.

CORRESPONDENCE.

The following letter containing in a great measure our own fentiments concerning the work therein mentioned, we spare ourselves the trouble of a formal article by inferting it.

TO THE AUTHORS OF THE LONDON REVIEW.

Gentlemen,

Perhaps it may not come within your plan to take any notice of fuch things as The Ladies Diaries; but I hope you will fo far oblige me as to recommend to publick notice, that lately published by Reuben Burrow. It is indeed the work of a master in science, and contains many geometrical propofitions, most of which are new and curious, others very general, and of very extenfive utility, and all of them demonitrated with the most elegant concifenefs. I would not have you think that this is a mere puff, for I affure you that neither the author nor the publisher know any thing of my writing this, nor do I intend that they fhall know from whence it comes; but I fend you this merely out of gratitude for the pleasure I have already received, and the future profit I hope to reap from this ingenious performance; and I make no queftion but that all masters of the fubject will accord with this my teftimony. At the fame time I must confefs, that I could have wifhed the author had fpared his farcaitical remarks upon some great names in the fame walk of science with himself, as there is room enough therein for all to move peaceably and quietly, without jostling each other. I am, Yours,

ANONYMOUS.

**The Reviewers would gladly comply with Mr. Bolterton's requeft; but are fearful that fo profound an investigation, as he feems to require, into fo very abftruse a subject, would prove as little edifying as entertaining to their readers. It is the lefs neceffary also, if it be true, as he informs us, that Dr. Priestley has taken up the pen in defence of himself-Nobody is better able to do him juftice.

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