render, what in other writers has been made difficult and tedious, more obvious and less tiresome."-Simple as is this author's mode of argumentation, and concife as is his mode of expreffion, we find the whole fum and substance, of this part of his argu ment, couched in a small compafs, and expreffed, even with epigrammatic conciseness, in our colleague Dr. K.'s Epiftles to Lorenzo.*

Let rafh polemicks idly prate
Of nature and a natʼral state,
The arts of focial life despise,
And think that brutes are only wife;
Pretending better had it been
If kings and pricfts we ne'er had feen;
If lawless, ignorant and wild,
Man had been left, while yet a child,
With brutes to share a common fate;
More bleft than in his present state:
Go thou, and act a social part,
MAN'S NAT'RAL STATE'S a STATE

OF ART.

'Twas nature, when the world was

young,

Untied our first great grandfire's

tongue;

Having

Call it by whatsoever name,
"Tis human nature's fpecial claim:
Say, from mere phrases to depart,
How differs nature here from art?
Within the folitary wood
Rcars the old brock her helpless brood;
For fafety, fcouring to her den,
At fight, or found of dogs and men?
"Tis nature warns her not t' expofe
Herfelf, or offspring, to her foes;
But fends her to the fafe retreat,
Where both enjoy their reft and meat.
Why rears not man in forest wild,
Or acorn grove, his fav'rite child?
But, lodg'd in towns, and nurs'd with

care;

Protects and feeds his fondled heir?

Taught his wild fons the force of Experter fure, were human race

fpeech,

And gave the human pow'r to teach;
To focial converse tun'd the ear,
Gave mutual love and mutual fear,
Inspir'd the hero, warm'd the friend,
And bade the strong the weak defend.
"Twas nature gave religion's rule,
And bade the wife conduct the fool;
In justice gave the law, to fave
The weak and honeft from the knave.
"Twas nature rais'd our thoughts on

high,

In contemplation, to the sky;
Taught us to beat the wilds of space,
And worlds on worlds in ether trace;
Planets and funs unknown explore,
And hence their maker, God, adore.
All this you artificial call,
I heed not empty terms at all:

If train'd in forefts, for the chafe;
The chafe that might our food pro-
vide;

And what need animals befide?
Lorenzo, here we plainly find
The characters that mark our kind.
'Tis natural for us, my friend,
To bid the cloud-capt tow'rs ascend;
To bid the floating castles ride
On moving mountains of the tide;
As, for the bird and beast, their food
To feek, in thicket, plain or wood,
To build the nest, or dig the den,
Far diftant from the haunts of men.
Nature to man did thus impart
What time has ripen'd into art:
But call it art, or what you will,
'Tis nature, human nature still.

EPISTLES TO LORENZO!

Having thus fhewn that, with respect to the state of man, the terms art and nature furnish a diftinction without a difference, the writer proceeds to account for the origin of civil government. The narrative of the dialogue accordingly is purfued thus:

"Opinions, you know, have been advanced concerning the firft formation of political focieties, no lefs extravagant than unnatural and contrary to probability: as if the rife of government, in the course of things, were not as natural, as the exiftence of the primary principles of human nature. Nay fome * would make us believe, that such principles had no exiftence at all, till human laws were invented to give them one. And they find it very difficult to conceive, how men could affociate, and form political focieties, without a great deal of previous formality. But, if the principles of human nature have existed at all times, in all men, (and to believe otherwife muft furely be very unphilofophical,) is it not eafy to perceive, that the paffion which impels us to the propagation of our fpecies, together with its confequent affections; that the neceffitous ftate of men without reciprocal affiftance; that the mutual ftrength and fecurity, which the union of numbers gives to a body of men, and the attracting pleasures of converfation and fociability; do all feverally and unitedly draw men, neceffarily, into fociety?-I looked affent.-Why may we not believe then, continued he, that a small number of men, in a state of pure fimplicity, might live amicably together, under the fole influence of the laws of their nature, at leaft for fome time; and that fmall irregularities might be corrected by fhame, by fear, and by reproof?I fee no objection, faid I.-Greater crimes, added he, from the dread all men would have of their extending to themselves, would naturally excite them to think of the means of prevention: they would, doubtlels, congregate, and confult for the general fafety; and, in their defence, would form rules, inftitutes, or civil laws, by the energy of which they might hope to fecure themselves from fuch enormities in future. As crimes increased, so would civil inftitutes; and fo a body politic would be as naturally produced, as any other effect in nature. This I take to be a true, though but a fhort account of the rife of civil government."

We fee here that our ingenious author's notions refpecting the rife and origin of civil government, differ widely from thofe of Locke, Sydney and other writers; who, as Dr. Price obferves, have hitherto been admired in this country. Of the nature of that government, when established, however, his opinions have a coincidence with theirs; as he confiftently maintains the exiftence of the natural rights of mankind in a state of political fociety.

The juft rights of human nature, fays he, founded on the divine principles, which the all-wife Creator hath originally impressed on the human fpecies, are utterly unalienable by any means whatsoever! No rights' of princes, no powers of magiftracy, no force of laws, no de

* Locke.

lulive

lufive compacts, grants, or charters, can ever entitle any part of mankind to deprive their fellow-creatures of these natural rights! All the nations upon earth (thofe in the most flavish, as well as those in the moft free ftate) poffefs an innate, inherent, and indifputable right, to affert their liberty at all times! Nor can any thing be more glorious than the attempt, founded on juft principles, even if it fail: for then we fhall feel the fublime fatisfaction of being actuated by those divine principles, which, from their native truth and beauty, as well as from our inward fenfe of them, we know to be the laws of God!"

In this fecond dialogue, the nature of the focial compact, and its formal inftitution between the fuppofed contracting parties, are treated of with great judgment and perfpicuity.

In the third and laft dialogue, the nature of religious liberty, is treated, as the French fay, a la politique; the author confidering practical religion rather as an engine of state than a divine inftitution. This engine he feems, alfo, to confider as rather pernicious than useful, unless restrained by the civil power, or left altogether without reftraint, on the principle of univerfal toleration.*

It is from the difficulty of our forming adequate and worthy ideas of the Supreme Being, and the diverfity of opinions thence arifing in the minds of men of different capacities and fituations, that he deduces the propriety of fuch a principle. A compulfion to uniformity of opinion, and modes of religion, he regards, of courfe, as tyrannical and abfurd.

"Commend me, fays his interlocutor, rather than to fuch vile tyranny, to the generous and liberal Pagans, under whofe free conflitutions every man might choose a religion for himself, and among whom the gods of all countries were admitted, and even courted to come: for fuch a free tolerance is certainly much more favourable to our just liberties, than any forced uniformity of worship, even of the moft true religion, can be. Besides, I do not conceive, that were uniformity eftablished, and that in a mode which may be thought the most pure imaginable, that mental idolatry, which is the most faulty part of idolatry, would be at all cured by fuch uniformity. It never can be cured, for thofe very caufes of the diverfity of men's ideas, which have been enumerated above.

"It has been thought no mean ftretch of the human underftanding, to form tolerably juft ideas of the fublime perfections of the Deity: and it

falls

To the objection," that all religions should not be confidered, or their profeffors treated alike," it is replied, that "Experience has taught us there is no trufting to the moderation of any fet of religionists, how mild foever the religion they profefs."-To the farther objection, "that, in fuch cafe, the fault would not be in the religion but its profeffors," it is farther replied, it might be fo, but that, in a political view, makes no difference. Politically, our business is with men and their actions; and if, profefling a religion the most pure and innocent, they either fo mifconceive or mifapply its precepts and doctrines, as to become turbulent and refractory intruders on the juft liberties of mankind, it muft furely be as reafonable and neceffary to keep them in a due fubordination, as any other difturbers of the public. peace, and invaders of the public liberty.

falls not to the lot of many men, to be nearly confiftent on a subject so dazzling, fo immenfe! Perfect clearness is, doubtlefs, much beyond the utmoft capacity of the moft enlarged human mind. If the wifeft and ableft then be incapable of attaining notions truly worthy of the Supreme Being; what must we fay of that rude and incongruous mixture, which poffeffes and agitates the minds of the mass of mankind, clouded as they are with all the various and numerous obstructions to a juft apprehenfion?--Indeed I know not, faid I; unless that their ideas must be very unworthy of the Supreme Being. But what do you conclude from that ?—I conclude, answered he, that be the modes of worfhip what they may, the ideas of the Deity, in the minds of vulgar worshippers in general, are, and ever will be, falfe, erroneous, and idolatrous; and that the cafe can never be otherwife, as long as men form their ideas of the attributes and perfections of the Deity, from unjuft and ill-founded fears, and fenfelefs hopes; and from all the variable and fluctuating paffions and affections with which they feel themselves agitated.That is, in fhort, faid I, as long as men fhall. be men. True, it is fo, replied he; and for that very reason, I allo conclude, that it is tyranny to attempt to force men to practise any particular modes of worship, though perfectly right and true; and that they ought to be left free to exercise themselves in the religious way, fo as may be moft fuitable to their own capacities and will; provided only, that they offend not against the juft laws of human

nature.

Our author appears, nevertheless, to have no objection to an uniformity, if it could be obtained freely, and founded on a thorough conviction in the minds of men.

"A conviction of the mind, fays he, is abfolutely neceffary in all cafes, in which we would engage the heart*. Were men, on fuch a conviction, without force, to run into an useful uniformity; perhaps it would be a very defirable thing. Yet I cannot but doubt of it, becaufe God (certainly for wife ends) seems to have conftituted the nature of man in oppofition to it. However they are much more likely to be fo difpofed, after having had time to canvas and examine things in their own way freely, than by any effort of power whatfoever. And I must again repeat, that it is a cruel tyranny to attempt to force men in matters of religion, as long as their conduct remains inoffenfive to the rights of humanity.

To this laft reflection, with which we conclude our quotations from these interesting and well-written dialogues, we readily fubfcribe; as, indeed, we conceive the most orthodox and zealous chriftian may fafely do: the fecular power being feldom, if ever, the means, made use of, in the difpenfations of divine grace, to effect the great work of regeneration in the hearts of those, by whom, fooner or later, its influence will infallibly be felt.

S.

• How forcibly and juftly doth this pofition militate against the rhetorical arguments of our modern olators; who address themselves to the paffions, inftead of the understanding, as the best way to affect and engage the heart. But the heart is not to be laftingly engaged by thofe means that may yet tranfitorily affeå it. Rev.

John

John Buncle, junior, Gentleman. 12mo. 35. Johnson.

Fronti nulla Fides.

Notwithstanding the trite motto, which Mr. Buncle has caufed to be engraved under an elegant little frontispiece in his titles page, and even all that he advances, in his long preamble about title-pages, editions, dedications and prefaces, we cannot help being of the opinion, that the title of a book should tend to give some idea of the matter it contains, as well as the manner in which it is difpofed. If it doth not do this, the above motto, indeed, is fo far pertinent and applicable, as the book might as well be without any title at all.John Buncle, jun Gentle man!-Well; what of him? the reader might fay. Who is he? What is he? Where does he come from? Does he publish his name merely, to fignify that fuch a perfon exifts? Or has he published his life-his lucubrations-his letters-There reader, thou haft hit it: the volume before us contains eight of John Buncle's letters; to which are prefixed three preliminary differtations on the subjects above-mentioned, with fome anecdotes of the author.

Of his differtations we shall only obferve, that the wit and humour of them is as trite as the fubjects are trivial; again turning upon him one of his own mottoes, Parva leves capiunt animos" These little things are great to little men."

From his anecdotes, we fhall juft felect fo much as will give our readers fome idea of the difpofition, he tells us, he inherited from his parents.

"Be it known, fays he, unto all whom it may concern, that I am the youngest fon of John Buncle, Gent. of marvellous memory; who leaped precipices, tumbled through mountains, found wife and good men, beautiful and learned women,

"Where you and I all day might travel,

And meet with nought but fand and gravel.'

It must be a matter of great indifference to the world, which of his wives called me her fon, as they were all equally beautiful, and equally accomplished. But to fhew how much the community might have loft in me by a too early burial, I think it proper to acquaint them, that my progenetrix was his feventh confort; with whom he eloped in the perfon of Mifs Dunk;-whom he buried the feventh day after decease and whom he afterwards married in the person of Dr. Stainvil's widow.

"From my father I inherited a fludious and fpeculative turn of mind: and if felf-love has not deceived me, I share some portion of his enthufiaftic love of truth. The calmness and moderation, for which my good mother was fo exemplary, has, on the other hand, happily qualified that warmth and impetuofity of temper, which was amongst the chief foibles of my old gentleman. So that I have always found myself more difpofed to pity the errors, or fmile at the weakneffes of mankind, than to vex and irritate my foul about them:-and VOL. III,

LI

this,