referved for one of their advocates in the perfon of our apologist, who has started up at the distance of a hundred and fixty years. The reft of this pamphlet ftrikes us with so much horror and indignation, that it cannot be reviewed by any man of humane, ferious, or fober fentiments. The writer, were we to indulge à conjecture, is a red-hot fetary, who with a view of exafperating the government against the Roman Catholics, has published this apology for their toleration. IX. Thoughts, Efays, and Maxims, chiefly Religious and Political. By Charles Howard, Efq. 8vo. Pr. 3 s. Lewis. T HIS publication is a contrast to the last article. What ever the author's religious fentiments may be, his candour, humanity, and moderation, entitle him to our esteem as a man, and ought to exempt him from cenfure as a writer. To juftify our opinion, we shall here prefent the reader with his thoughts upon religion, which are fuppofed to be addreffed by a father to a fon. I have given you my opinion upon converfation and company! and, thank God! I believe you are fo well principled, and instructed in religion, both as to faith and morals, having had the best education that I could give you in relation to those points, as to avoid all the pedantry of humanifing the mysteries of religion to the vulgar grofs fenfation of man; fuch reprefentations, whenever they are analyzed, doing more real hurt than good to religion; and at the fame time to avoid the other rock which many, that would be wits, fplit upon. Thefe, because they cannot account for every thing, will believe in nothing; even the myfteries which, perhaps, and in all probability, are conccaled from us by our Omnipotent Creator, as' incomprehenfible, and above the understanding of a weak creature. Without religion, it is very difficult, upon trial, to be truly honeft; though many of the heathens were very extraordinary men, and did very great and fhining actions; and by the light or law of nature, fome of them taught very good morality, and wrote well upon that fubject. In this they might be actuated by natural religion; and those who were fincere, and acted to the best of their knowledge, must have been acceptable to the God of the world; for it is not confiftent with the infinite attributes of the Almighty to punish man for what he did not really know, or had not, from his fituation in life, the power to be informed of. But if we examine into most of the actions of the ancient philosophers, it appears that the greater part of them proceeded from a vain love of fome fingularity, an ambitious defire of power power or popularity, and not intrinfic goodness founded upon religion. Mahometiẩm, which prevails over fo very great a part of the world, though it may teach many just things, encourages fenfual pleasures, and may be faid to fenfualize mankind; and from that fource muft be productive of many crimes, and much mischief: and it is thought this was the motive and allure that made Mahomet adopt that principle in thofe hot countries, to render it more palatable and agreeable to the complexion of the Afiatics, among whom he lived. The fame may be faid of Paganism in general, and fome religions that are founded upon, and permit revenge in the highest degree. It is even credibly afferted in history, that there was an Afiatic prince called The Man of the Mountain, who had so far inftilled implicit obedience in his fubjects, that he could procure any person to be affaffinated, though very far diftant from. his dominions; nay, they thought they did a meritorious action in obeying his commands: and it was with difficulty he was deftroyed. The Chriftian religion condemns all fenfuality, paffion, revenge, murder, and every evil, &c. but teaches and commands the practice of all good. It not only forbids the real commiffion of the actions, but enjoins and commands the practice of the oppofite virtues, and that as far as lies in the power of man, to correct and govern himself by not giving way to evil thoughts, which, when indulged, may be faid to be the commanders and executors of evil actions. This feems rightly to be taught, and enjoined only by the Chriftian religion. In a word, it enlightens, civilizes, and makes mankind more happy, even in this world, than any other. It is not the intention of the writer, nor has he abilities to enter into all the divifions and subdivisions that have done, and occasioned, so much harm and mifchief to Christendom; he shall only say, that the belief of any fett of men, who by their doctrine teach the pureft morality, charity, and univerfal benevolence to their neighbour, feems the best to live and die in. These tenets are the most forcibly instilled in the mind by inftructions from the Christian religion, whofe profeffors live in charity with all others, and leave them to the judgment of the omniscient, merciful, and just God. 'True religion makes a person meek, humble, and compaffionate, to others who are not thought to be guided by the fame light and truth. For this we ought to be thankful to Divine Providence, and not vain-glorious or proud that we are not so bad as our neighbour; we should otherwise imitate the pharifaical pride condemned in the Gospel. I will referve it for another letter, to give my opinion upon politics; and finish by this maxim, That a man makes more atone atonement for his fins in the fight of his God, who has been a public finner, and is of more fervice and instruction to man» kind, by becoming a public penitent, than by retiring into the moft rigid religious order that ever existed.' In fome of the characters drawn by this gentleman, he seems not to have been fufficiently informed as to facts. Speaking of the duke of Shrewsbury, he fays, that he paffed through most of the great offices of ftate; he was knight of the garter, ambaffador in France, lord lieutenant in Ireland, and, I believe, once fecretary of ftate.' We mention it, to the honour of Mr. Howard, that he does not ftrike into the vulgar manner of exaggerating on a favorite character; for the duke of Shrewfbury, at the time of queen Anne's death, was lord chamberlain of the houthold, lord lieutenant of Ireland, and lord high treasurer of England. In our author's character of John duke of Argyle, he has been mifinformed in a capital fact; for we can almost venture to affure him, that Campbell earl of Breadalbin was not present on the fide of the pretender at the battle of Dumblain. If there is any truth in the duke of Marlborough's having become a convert to Jacobitifm, he must have been fo before the year 1715*. Mr. Howard, in his character of the duke of Berwick, feems to be ignorant that his eldest fon, the duke of Liria, under the title of marquis of Tinmouth, was actually in Scotland, and perfonally engaged in the rebellion of 1715. Upon the whole, there is, in the publication before us, a fund of good fense and moderation, which can never be too much commended in a gentleman of this author's situation and expectancies. F MONTHLY CATALOGUE. 10. Letters to married Women. Svo. Pr. 3 s. Kearfly. ROM the ftyle of this performance, we should imagine that the author borrowed the idea of it from the Sermons to Young Women. The subject of the letters is sometimes physical, fometimes moral; and from the florid and perfuafive manner in which they are written, we make no doubt but they will procure a good reception with the Fair, to whom they are addreffed. But the reader fhall judge for himself, by perufing part of the fourteenth letter, which has for its title, See De Torcy's Memoirs. VOL, XXIV. Dec. 1767, The The fick chamber-with directions also for invalids. We are now, my dear ladies, entering into the fick cham. ber, in which, as well as in the nursery, many amiable characers may be drawn. Here, the conjugal affection of a wife is laudably displayed the tender love of a mother fondly exerts itself the gratitude and duty of a daughter are confpicuousthe good fifter also endears herself to a worthy brother - and fe. male friendship wears a thousand additional charms! 'Let us picture a truly tender and good wife, in this exalted character! Let us fuppofe that she has her deserved recompence, by restoring to her chafte and longing arms the distinguished choice of her youthful love, enobled by a generous fympathy of virtucus inclinations!. Let us imagine this happy man perfectly recovered from a dangerous and painful illness, to which recovery, her unwearied attendance proved greatly inftrumental: his mind, likewise, impreffed with every thought a consciousness of fuch an obligation can infpire! Behold the husband admiring her transcendent excellency, while the honeft tear, perchance trickling down his cheek, betrays the big emotion of a grateful heart. "She, on her part, with looks of cordial love, awhile in filent rapture glows then on bended knee adores her Maker”—returns moft fervid thanks, for that her prayer of forrow has been heard, that He has graciously restored the husband and the father! How great must be their reciprocal felicity! 'I fhall now proceed to those instructions which are neceffary for the proper execution of this friendly office. There is a certain impertinence, frequently proceeding from laudable motives, which, nevertheless, is totally culpable: I mean the defire of our acquaintance to visit a fick chamber. It is oftentimes, I acknowledge, the effect of tenderness ill-place, and a real concern imprudently expreffed. In general, thofe vifits should not be permitted. I every day experience the ill effects of them. When indeed a patient is upon the recovery, and capable of fitting up three or four hours at a time, the company of a friend, who knows how far to engage, with propriety, in converfation, is a fweetly refreshing folace: but locks, bolts, or bars, cannot be too ftrong to keep prating goffips, at all times, out of a fick chamber. • During a fever, it is a load fufficient for any patient to bear the difeafe. Quietude on his part, and filence on the part of those about him, ought univerfally to be impofed. It is not a time for the mind to be engaged, either in the pursuit of bufinefs or pleasure. This leads me to a confideration of the ut most confequence. If it is now prejudicial for any one to think, even of the common concerns of life, how much more injurious muft it prove, to have the mind engaged in that great work of fettling, for ever, our worldly affairs? Would you, my friends, wish to be freed from an intolerable burthen, never poftpone this important business until you are upon a bed of fickness. Not to fay how incapable the judgment at fuch a time will often prove, perhaps to the detriment of fome deferving friend, or not unlikely to the confufion of a whole family, the very mention of it from any one about us, or the confcious neceflity in ourselves, muft exceedingly hurry and deprefs the fpirits, when tranquility and fupport are. effentially neceffary. For what can fuch an idea convey but death? The chamber, proper for a patient, is of no small moment.. There ought to be a free circulation of air, whether it be in the fummer or winter. I never would have any person confined to a room without a chimney, it is equally neceffary in the warmer season for the purpose of discharging the offenfive vapours of disease, as it is in cold weather, by means of a little fire, to bring the air to a due temperament, which also con tributes to remove the like offence.' 11. Elements of the Practice of Phyfic. Part II. Containing the Hiftory and Methods of treating Fevers and internal Inflammations. By George Fordyce, M. D. Member of the Royal College of Phyficians, and Reader on the Practice of Phyfic, in London. 8vo. Pr. 3 s. ferved. Johnson. Moft books on the practice of phyfic refemble the clue of Ariadne, which lead their readers mechanically through the labyrinths of science, without giving a juft knowledge of the way. In this treatise, the rules of practice are accurately reduced to the principles of theory, and the effects of medicinal - applications. And as the method which the author has adopted is concife and perfpicuous, this performance will be of confiderable utility to the ftudents in phyfic. 12. New Obfervations on Inoculation. By Dr. Gatti, Confulting Phyfician to bis moft Chriftian Majefty, and Profeffor of Medicine in the University of Pifa. Tranflated from the French. By M. Matty, M. D. Sec. R. S. 8vo. Pr. 1s. 6d, Vaillant. This treatise is the production of the celebrated propagatorof inoculation in France, and was undertaken at the friendly request of Dr. Maty, to vindicate its author's practice from the contemptuous treatment of his antagonists. What attention will be paid to this vindication, in his own country, at prefent, we Hh 2 cannot |