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hath been chofen of the foundation; and, I think, hath gotten an exhibition, and defigns to stand for a fellowship.'

20. The History of the Second Solomon, 1729.' The Dean, here, gives a very humorous account of his friend Dr. Sheridan, whofe indolence and indifcretions were continual fubjects for the exercise of our Author's fatirical talent. He also falls moft outrageously on the character of the Doctor's wife; whom he describes in the following fevere terms: her character, fays he, is this: Her perfon is deteftably disagreeable; a moft filthy flut; lazy and flothful, and luxurious, ill-natured, envious, fufpicious; a fcold, expenfive on herfelf, covetous to others; fhe takes thieves and whores, for cheapness, to be her servants, and turns them off every week: pofitive, infolent, an ignorant, prating, overweening fool; a lover of the dirtieft, meanest company. In another place, he fays, fhe was, in every regard, except gallantry, (which no creature would attempt) the most difagreeable beaft in Europe.'

[The remainder of our Account of thefe Pofthumous Pieces, may be expected in our next.]

G.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For AUGUST, 1765.

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL.

Art. 8. A Vindication of the Moral Character of the Apostle Paul, from the Charge of Infincerity and Hypocrify brought against it by Lord Bolingbroke, Dr. Middleton, and others. Shewing at the fame time, from his Example compared with that of our Lord, and the other Apofles, the true and proper Measures to be taken for the Converfion of the Jews. By Caleb Jeacocke. 8vo. 15. Flexney.

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HE late Lord Bolingbroke's charge against St. Paul, is thus cited by Mr. Jeacocke, from the fecond Vol. of his pofthumous works, P. 319. Peter, fays his Lordship, converfed and eat with the Gentiles at Antioch, till the arrival of certain Jews made him feparate himself from the former, fearing them which were of the circumcifion; and Paul, who reproached this prince of the apostles fo harshly for his hypocrify, if he did not diffemble to the elders the doctrine he taught to the Gentiles, did at leaft diffemble fo far to the public, when he came to Jerufalem, and joined in the moft folemn act that the moft rigid obfervers of the law could perform, as to exprefs a zeal for obfervances he did not much

This Mr. Jeacocke is, if we miftake not, that remarkable person who, for many years, was prefident of the Robin Hood Society; and much applauded by thofe who only knew him under the denomination of the Baker. We have been informed that he is now in the commiflion for the Peace.

value, and for a law he thought abrogated: for that was the cafe, and the doctrine is inculcated throughout his Epiftles. In fhort, he carried.. his indulgence fo far, or he diffembled fo far, that he became as a Jew to the Jews, that he might gain the Jews, and to them that are without the law, that is, to the Gentiles, as without law, that he might gain them too. We have his own words for this, and he boasts of it."

Again, page 347. Note-" St. Paul, inftead of grafting Chrif tianity on Judaifm, infifted on an entire abolition of the latter; to which however he had conformed most hypocritically on more occafions than one."

Dr. Middleton's objection is extracted from his Carfory Reflections on the Difpute or Diffention which happened at Antioch, between the Apoftles Peter and Paul;'-in these words: "Paul, the apoftle of the Gentiles, and, by that character, the more engaged to vindicate their liberty, knowing Peter's fentiments on this question (who he fays in the foregoing paragraph, was clearly convinced that the ceremonies of the law were fuperceded and abolished by the difpenfation of the gospel) to be really the fame with his own, was fo fcandalized at his diffimulation, that he could not abstain from reproaching him very feverely for it in public; yet, when it came afterwards to his own turn to be alarmed with the apprehenfion of danger from the fame quarter, he was content to comply and diffemble too, and in order to pacify the Jews, affected a zeal for their legal rites and obfervances, by the Advice of James, who then prefided in the church of Jerufalem."-And again," Paul had carried his zeal for Chriftian liberty fo far, and declared himself every where fo roundly against the ceremonies of the law, both by preaching and writing; that when he was driven afterwards to a change of conduct, his diffimulation proved too late, and instead of pacifying the Jews, provoked them only the more."

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From thefe charges of hypocritical temporizing, Mr. Jeacocke under takes to vindicate the apoftie of the Gentiles; and his arguments de ferve to be attended to; but at the fame time, we are forry to fee Paul defended at the expence of poor Peter: whofe fincerity is thus called in .queftion. Peter," fays our Author, in his difcuffion of this question,' [Whether the Gentiles, on their becoming Christians, fhould conform to the law of Mofes ?] was evidently of the fame opinion with the apostle Paul, and the reft of the affembly; and upon going afterwards to Antioch, he entered into the greateft intimacy with the believing Gentiles, by converfing and eating with them as brethren. But when fome zealous Chriftian Jews, who were otherwise minded, came down to Antioch, he fearing their refentment for thus freely converfing with uncircumcifed Gentiles (though believers) withdrew himself, contrary to the judgment of his own mind, and broke off that fellowship with the Gentiles, which he had before maintained.-Which behaviour created great uneafinefs, and was the ground of diffention and feparation among the difciples of Chrift, having a direct tendency to lead thefe Gentiles to queftion, whether their belief and profeffion of Chriftianity would be available to obtain the favour of God, unless they were circumcifed? For this inconfiftency of conduct in Peter, first converfing intimately with them, and then forfaking them without any juft caufe, Paul, who had more refpe&t and concern for the truth of the gospel than the power of men, freely reproved him, and withstood him to the face, for as he fays plainly, he was to be blamed."

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We shall not enter into any difpute with our Author, whether St Paul or St. Peter were the most chargeable with temporizing and trimming, in order to please and humour the Chriftian Jews. Every judi cious friend to the Chriftian religion will, we imagine, deem it most prudent to let the apoftolical diffentions reft, in that peace into which they happily fubfided, above fixteen hundred years ago.

Mr. Jeacocke is at great pains to evince, from St. Paul's writings, that it was by no means the apostle's defign, to prove the abolition of the Mofaic inftitution neceffary, in order to establish the Chriftian difpen fation. The converted Jews were to be fo far Jews ftill, that they were not to defire to forfake the law of Mofes, and to get the mark of cir cumcifion out of their flesh;' neither on the other hand, were the Gentiles to imagine, that in order to be difciples of Christ, they must be come Jews, and be circumcifed.' In fhort, our Author is of opinion, (and he thinks his opinion ftands confirmed, not only by the example and doctrine of St. Paul, but also by the authority of our Lord, his apoftles, and the first ages of Christianity) that if a Jew should be profelyted to Christianity, at this time, the law of Mofes would, neverthelefs, have an obligatory force upon him.' Our Lord, adds he, instead of repealing the law, confidered himself as a Jew, and as fuch complied with the customs and law of Mofes.- And the apoftles, he continues, in another place, trod faithfully in the fteps of their blessed mafter, and conformed to the ancient religion of their fathers, continuing to obferve and keep the laws and cuftoms of Mofes.Seeing, therefore, that neither our Lord, nor any of his apoftles, required the Jews, upon their believing in him, to forfake the law of Mofes, Mr. Jeacocke thinks he may venture to afirm, that no other perfon can have any authority at this time to require it. And hence he concludes, that if we would treat the Jews with that moderation and benevolence, which are due to our fellow-creatures, and which the gospel itself requires; if the teachers and propagators of Chriflianity, of every denomination, fhould entertain this fentiment, and allow the fame liberty to that people, which our Lord and bis apofiles allowed, namely, that if they would, on believing in him, be baptized, and partake of the memorial of his death in the facrament, they might continue to obferve their own cuftoms; the great flumbling block to their embracing the gofpel would be removed; the partition wall between the Jews and Christians would be taken away; a general converfion to Christianity might be expected; and confequently the prophefies would be daily drawing nearer and nearer to their accomplishment.'

Mr. Jeacocke declares himself fenfible that the notion here advanced will have popular prejudice and long cftablished opinion to encounter with, and that much oppofition may be expected; but he affures his -readers, that his determination is, not to enter into any controverfy on this topic which we are very glad to hear,-for, were a contell to arife on the fubject, as warm and as diffufive as that occafioned by Middleton's Enquiry concerning the Miraculos Pervers, &c. the poor Reviewers would have a woeful time of it.

Art. 9. Brief Animadverfions on feme Paffazes in the Eleven Letters to the Rev. Mr. John Wesley, just published under the Name of the late Rev. Mr. James Hervey. By a fincere Friend to the true Religion of Jefus Chrift. 8vo. 6d. J. Payne.

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By our Animadverter's expreffion- juft públifhed under the nime of, &c. the Reader who might chance to proceed no further than his title-page, would be apt to conclude, that he (the Author of these animadverfions) did not look upon the eleven letters, as really the product of the late Mr. Hervey's pen. This, however, is not the cafe; there is not the least room to fufpect their authenticity; nor does the Animadverter fuppofe them not to be genuine. It is from his laudable tendernefs for Mr. Hervey's memory, and his just abhorrence of fome tenets contained in thofe letters, that he feems willing to take advantage of their being a pofthumous publication, and that too, contrary to Mr. Hervey's dying request; in order to reprefent the book in queftion as being in fome fenfe, not altogether the work of fo pious and wellmeaning a writer. Mr. Hervey, fays he, is not the first perfon who has fuffered by the imprudent eftéem of friends. Contrary to his dying request, this anfwer was not deftroyed, but put into the hands of many. No wonder, therefore, that a furreptitious copy of it, as the Editor tells us, appeared in print. This (continues our Animadverter) is made the reafon for fending into the world the prefent piece; which, fuppofing it [the book] to be genuine, certainly reflects the higheft difcredit on Mr. Hervey's memory; and which, if it be not genuine, but poifoned by the infectious pen of a Cudworth + (as perhaps thofe who love Mr. Hervey beft, would rather chufe to believe) it is a dreadful reflection, that the popular name of fo worthy a man should be made the vehicle to convey fuch truly pernicious fentiments.'

To prove that Hervey's Eleven Letters to Welley, really are the ve hicle through which the most pernicious fentiments are conveyed to the public, our Author has here collected a number of paffages f.om thote Jetters, fome of which are indeed fraught with fuch doctrines as are truly a moft fcandalous perverfion of the Chriftian religion. What will the fober-minded judicious reader fay to the following?

"This guilt [of fin] our Lord fo truly bore, that he was no lefs liable to the arreft of justice and the infliction of vengeance, than if he himself had committed the most enormous crimes.He bore the filth -therefore he felt what thofe wretched fouls endure, who die in their iniquities; his eternal father forfook him, and hid his face from him, as from an abominable object -This renders our Saviour's propitiation great, wonderful, and glorious. Believing this, we have nothing to fear: nothing remains to be laid to our charge by the righteous judge." Herwey, p. 16, 17.

Is it poffible, fays our Animadverter, on this paffage, that any ferious mind can attend to the above particulars without being filled with indignation? Did the greatnefs of our Saviour's propitiation confift in his feeling thofe agonies of defpair which are endured by damned fpirits, and in being detefted and abhorred by his father? God fo.bid! What can be more horrible than to imagine this? If we have nothing 10 fear, c." there cannot be the least reafon that we fhould ever implore the forgiveness of our fins, or concern ourfelves to avoid them.' The above cited paffages may ferve as fpecimens both of the abfurd

See Rev. for Feb. lat, p. 148.

We have frequently met with this name, in the lift of modern fa

atics.

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do&rines contained in the letters, (a confiderable variety of which may be found in this pamphlet) and of our Author's manner of animadverting on them. We shall therefore conclude the article with a fhort extract from his introduction: which will not be deemed unfeasonable, by fuch of our Readers as are acquainted with the furprizing progrefs which fanaticifm hath lately made among us. -We earnestly requeft, not the admirers of Mr. Hervey only, but fuch as are fond to hear opinions of this fort delivered from the pulpit, (from whence we are forry to find they are now too frequently delivered) we request them to ask their own hearts in fincerity, Whether they can conceive it poffible, that the eternal Son of the most holy God, could have established a religion which directly tends to remove all the obligations of virtue, piety, and truth, and to introduce the most fhocking licentioufness in life and practice? That fuch is the confequence of that perverfion of the Chriftian religion marked out in the following pages, is not to be doubted; fince, if there was a neceffity, the writer of this could eafily produce many ftrenuous, and, as they would be thought, most holy disciples of this doctrine, guilty of fuch practices as are a difgrace to human nature, and as would totally overthrow the foundations of fociety, if generally inculcated and em. braced.Who or what are the men here glanced at, we are not informed; but it is not improbable that our Author may have fuficient grounds for what he has faid: it being very natural for fuch tenets as are here exploded, not only to deprive thofe who efpoufe them, of all the benign influences of genuine piety, but alfo to loose them from the Common Obligations of morality.

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We cannot, however, take leave of this little well-meant tract, without noticing one paffage, which feems to require explanation. It is a great pity, fays our Author, and a fad mark of our declenfion from the fpirit of our forefathers, that books containing fuch deftructive notions. are fuffered to be published without proper animadverfion.'- What does the Author mean by the Spirit of our forefathers, and by proper animadverfion? We know that the fpirit of our forefathers, with refpect to freedom of thinking, fpeaking, or writing, was often a very narrow and perfecuting fpirit. This fpirit, God be praised! has been pretty well Jaid; and we hope the fenfible Writer of this pamphlet would not wish to conjure it up again:-and as to proper animadverfion, if he means any other kind of animadverfion than fuch as he hath himself here bestowed upon Mr. Hervey, (a little whole fome pen-and-ink caftigation) we are very forry for it. We have had enough, furely, and more than enough, of perfecution for fentimental differences; and we hope there is an end of all fuch popifh, tyrannical, ftar-chamber practice in this nation for, wicked as the principles of our antinomians, and fome other modern fe&taries, may be deemed, they are innocent and harmless, compared with fuch modes of animadversion as occafioned the fentence of condemnation to be paffed on the writings of the immortal Lock E, and conducted the truly noble and amiable SIDNEY to the fcaffold.

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Art. 10. The Plain Man's Guide to the True Church: or an Expcfition of the 9th Article of the Apofile's Creed: viz. The Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints. 8vo. JS. Owen.

The church to which the readers of this tract are guided, is the church

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