dreffes himself will think it a matter of fuch importance as he seems to do, time muft determine. That the impofitions, he complains of are of importance to the trading part of the community is not to be doubted; although to avoid a multiplication of penal laws, it is worth the trial whether they may not be remedied by the laws as is in being. The Difeafes of Children, and their Remedies. By Nicholas Rofen van Rofenftein. Tranflated into English by Andrew Sparrman, M. D. 8vo. 5s. Cadell. This work, which, we are informed was originally written in German, and has been for fome years in repute on the continent, appears to merit the reputation it has acquired: the feveral difeafes, to which children are more particularly fubject, being treated of in a judicious manner, and in a great degree conformable to the practice of the best English phyficians. Remarks on a Letter to a Baptift-Minifter; containing fome Strictures on his late Conduct in the Baptization of certain Adults at Sh-fb-y, &c. By a Well-wisher to Mankind. 8vo. 6d. Robinson. In our April Review we gave a very fhort account of the publication, to which these remarks are intended as an answer. To that account, therefore, we refer our readers for our opinion respecting this and all fimilar difputes. Indeed, this remarker feems to be much of the fame opinion, as appears from the very first paragraph of his pamphlet; and which, for that very reafon, might with great propriety have been the last. "If the difputants about Baptifm could but govern their tempers, and reason with calmness and candor, it would afford instruction and pleasure to read their writings. But when Germany, and even the unhappy difpute with America must be lugged into the controverfy; when banter, fneer, railing, and abufe, are to fupply the vacancies of argument and fcriptural demonftration, it is impoffible to reap benefit from fuch productions. In fhort, inftead of reafoning like chriftian divines about a religious ordinance, it looks more like the vain jangling of porters over a pot of beer." So much for the manner of the difpute. Now for the matter of it, the religious ordinance in queftion, That the letter of the fcripture is in favour of the Baptifts (or, as they are STILL abfurdiy called Anabaptifts) cannot, without evafion and equivocation, be denied. But then the importance of the mode of baptifm, and the religious confequence of the difference!-Alas, this is not fo much the point in difpute. It is, in fact, though not in words, admitted that the difference of mode is by no means effential to falvation. It is not for the good of fouls that Fff thefe thefe gofpel-minifters difpute about rites and ceremonies: it is for the power of the church; each standing up for that of his own. Witnefs the nota-bene with which this Well-wisher to Mankind clofes his pamphlet. N. B. It is very well known that the Church of England's diífent from the Church of Rome, has been juftified by writers in favor of this diffent, on account of the fuperftitions and traditions that are countenanced among the Romans. The Proteftants, in short, tell the Papifts that they cannot plead fcripture for these things. The Papifts by way of reprifals say, "No more can you plead fcripture for infant baptifm. We, fay they, practice infant baptifm as well as you, but never pretend to plead fcripture for it; we plead the authority of the church, and that only." "If it be indeed true, that the Church of England hath ' a right to decree rites and ceremonies, as is pretended, the argument is at au end :-This I own, that the Church of England has as much right to decree rights and ceremonies as the Church of Rome: and this İ affert, that a Baptist Church' has as much right to decree rites, &c. as either of them. A Reply to Parmenas. By the Author of a Letter to a Minifter. 8vo. 6d. Robinson. Baptift As a motto to this reply, its author has chofen the Latin proverb, Ex quovis ligno Mercurius non fit. That is, in proverbial English, One cannot make a filken purfe of a fow's ear.-Who the deuce ever thought one could, except this writer?-But, indeed, Mr. R. D. though apparently a very fenfible man, and much the ableft antagonist in this difpute, is a man of most extraordinary expectations. He might, it is true, just as soon make a filken purse of a fow's ear as make a bad writer lay down his pen, on a full conviction he is not a good one. And yet, he fays of Parmenas, "I thought that a hint upon a former occafion might have convinced him how totally difqualified he was for appearing in the character of an author; and that this friendly intimation would have laid an effectual embargo on any future productions of his pen.”——Alas! Mr. R. D, how little acquainted are you with the temper and difpofition of bad writers! Had you half the experience of us, Reviewers, you would know that there is not an animal on earth fo indocile, untractable, and felffufficient as a bad writer. Not that it is very modest and decent in you to triumph fo much in your own abundance, and your adverfary's plentiful lack of Latin. A little of God's grace would do both your reverences more good than all the Latin your can mufter between you. We heartily recommend to you, there fore, fore, to drop your unchristian-like difputes, and to do your best for your respective congregations, according to the gifts and graces, with which God hath been pleased to endow you. *** Grammar and Rhetoric. Being the first and third Volumes of the Circle of the Sciences. Confiderably enlarged and greatly im proved. 12mo. Is. 6d. Carnan. This little volume appears to be well calculated for the use of fchools, and ftill better for the ufe of fuch as have not profited by schools so much as they ought, or have forgotten what they were taught there. Among the many compilations of this kind that have been offered the publick, we do not, indeed, know any that are, in every refpect, fo well defigned and executed as the prefent. In the copy we are poffeffed of, there is wanting, however, an index, or copious table of contents; which, to performances of this nature, is highly neceffary; as the difficulty of turning immediately to the fubject, often prevents thefe mifcellaneous remembrancers from being confulted. Logic, Ontology, and the Art of Poetry; being the fourth and fifth Volumes of the Circle of Sciences. Confiderably enlarged and greatly improved. 12mo. 3s. Carnan. A larger link of the foregoing chain, forming the circle of the Cyclopedia. The genius who contrived to tranfcribe the Iliad in fo fmall a compafs as to be contained in a nut-fhell, imagined, no doubt, he had done a mighty feat. But, as it was legible by nobody but himfelf, his labour was loft, and his transcript useless. The attempt to condense thus the comprehenfive circle of the fciences, fo as to be drawn through the hoop of a fine lady's wedding-ring, muft be equally futile and frivolous. It is with great propriety, therefore, our editor hath improved on the former plan, and enlarged the body of his work: the quantity of matter contained in this volume, and the judgment difplayed in its felection and digeftion doing him credit, as the compiler of one of the moft inftructive and entertaining performances of the kind extant. Quin's Rudiments of Book-Keeping; comprized in fix plain Cafes, and attainable in as many Days, without the Help of a Teacher; calculated for Perfons of either Sex, grown to Maturity. With an Effay on the fit Manner of initiating Youth to Temperance and moral Rectitude, by an eafy Arithmetical Scale. Small 8vo. Is. 6d. Bew. Mr. Quia's Rudiments are, indeed, extremely fhort, and yet, we think, fulficiently obvious even to perfons of moderate capacity. This Fff 2. little little book, therefore, may prove of much practical utility, eveni though divines and moralifts fhould call in queftion the power of the moft extenfive ARITHMETICAL knowledge to diffuse an univerfal purity of manners and triumph over LIBERTINISM and INFIDELITY. A Reply to the Author of the Remarks on Scriptural Confutation of Mr. Lindley's Apology. By a Layman. 8vo. 6d. Law. Whofo denieth the Son, the fame hath not the Father. 1 Ep. St. John, II. 23. We are perfeâly of opinion, with this writer, refpecting the abfurdity of thofe, who, in the words of a more eminent writer, propofe a Chriftianity without Chrift, and a redemption without a Redeemer*", We cannot admit, nevertheless, of the validity of his reafoning. The power of working miracles, and in particular thofe of abating the form and of the loaves and fishes, he says, are an unanswerable proof of the divinity of our Saviour, and both fhew him to have been the creator of the world."-We don't fee, as Mrs. Heidelberg fays, any concatenation here.-May not the power of working miracles be deputed by the divinity to a created being?—If we believe the fcriptures, it cer tainly has been fo.-A good cause never fuffers fo much as by injudicious defenders. "In this age of infidelity," as this writer fays, it behoveth every perfon to lay this matter serioufly to heart."After all, however, it is doing injuftice to the prefent age, to call it an age of infidelity, if by that term is meant a pofitive difbelief and abfolute denial of the truths of Chriftianity. The more general characteristic of the times is indifference for religion; and the next (for the world will be ever divided) is pious credulity. Scepticifm may probably have given rife to that indifference; but dogmatifm, either orthodox or heterodox, is not likely to make converts either way. The Monthly Reviewers, indeed, tell us, it is completely ridiculous to unchriftianize those who do not believe in the fupreme divinity of Chrift. Pray, is there any species of divinity not fupreme-We wonder that men of fente fhould be fo tenacious about a name. For certainly the name is all they contend for.-Denying, as they do, the Lord that bought them, placing no confidence in his merits as a Saviour and Redeemer, to what purpose do they inlift on being called Chriftians? Or are they really men of the world, as well as men of fenfe, enough to know the value of a name, and how far it is neceflary to entitle them to a share of the loaves and fifhes? To be discarded there, would, indeed, be unchriftianizing them with a witnefs: and yet, unless they confefs themfelves apoftates, and to have departed from the faith, they cannot be otherwise unchriftianized. The Man of Quality. A Farce. The licentioufnefs of the dialogue Taken from the Comedy of the 8vo. 1s. Kearsley. in moft of the comedies written at the latter end of the laft, and beginning of the prefent century, is fo incompatible with the prefent corrected ftyle of the ftage, that they require a good deal of alteration to be rendered admiffible at the theatre. It appears to have been from this confideration that Mr Lee took the pains to accommodate fome fcenes in Vanburgh's Relapfe to the present humour of the town; which he has here published under the novel title of the Man of Quality. Performed at the The Don Quixote. A mufical Entertainment. atre Royal in Covent-Garden. 8vo. 15. Wilkie. Many have been the attempts, and fome of them by good dramatifts, to bring the famous Knight of La Mancha on the stage. Unluckily, however, they have none of them met with any great fuccefs. There is, indeed, a wide difference between the description of a character and the exhibition of a perfonage: that fpecies of humour which appears exquifite in the one, entirely evaporating in the other. little to be wondered at, therefore, if our theatrical retainers, the ef forts of whole poetical genius feldom rife higher than a farce, a ballad opera, or an interlude, defigned as a vehicle for mufic, fhould fail in exhibiting two fuch highly finifhed figures as thofe of Don Quixote and his man Sancho Pancha. It is The fine Gentleman's Etiquette: or Lord Chefterfield's Advice to bis Son verfified. 4to. Is. Davies. An ironical and humorous verfification of the most exceptionable inftructions contained in Lord Chefterfield's celebrated Letters to his Son, Edwald and Ellen; an heroic Ballad. In two Cantos. By Mr. Some men there are, that, having ftore of wit, What the fatirift here fays of the wits is equally applicable to the poets; many a fpirited young bard, who hath addrefs and courage enough to vault upon the back of Pegasus, being unable to guide him with any propriety when he hath fet him on a gallop. Indeed, nothing is more common than for fuch young horfemen to whip and fpur their fleed till he runs away with them.-Mr. Thiftlethwaite certainly has the requifites, the capabilities (to ufe the profeffional cant of artifts) to keep his feat; but to ride well and gracefully, he should be at the pains, and beftow the time, of attending the menage with more afduity. Nominal |