the Opinions of Bp. Warburton and Dr. Leland on this Subject, are particularly confidered. 8vo. Is. Davis and Reymers.

The Author of this differtation defends the Bishop of Gloucester's opinion concerning the ancient Pagan Myfteries against the objections urged by the late learned Dr. Leland, in his work concerning the advantage and neceffity of the Chriftian Revelation.· He fets out with an explanation of the term MYSTERIES, and tells us, that each of the Pagan Gods had, befides the public and open, a fecret worship paid unto him; to which none were admitted but thofe who had been felected by preparatory ceremonies, called initiation. This Secret worship was termed the MYSTERIES.

Of these there were two forts, the greater and the lesser. According to the Bishop of Gloucester, the leffer taught, by certain fecret rites and fhews, the origin of Society, and the doctrine of a future ftate; they were preparatory to the greater, and might be fafely communicated to all the initiated without exception.

The arcana of the GREATER MYSTERIES, Continues our Author, were the doctrine of the unity, and the DETECTION of the error of the vulgar polytheism. These were not communicated to all the afpirants without exception, but only to a small and select number, who were judged capable of the fecret.

The initiated were obliged by the most folemn engagements to commence a life of stricteft piety and virtue. It was proper therefore to give them all the encouragement and affiftance neceflary for this purpose. Now in the Pagan world there was a powerful temptation to vice and debauchery, the profligate examples of their Gods. Ego bomuncio hoc non facerem? was the abfolving formula, whenever any one was refolved to give a loose to his paffions. This evil the Mysteries remedied by striking at the root of it: therefore, fuch of the initiated as were judged capable, were made acquainted with the whole delufion. "The Magogue taught them, that Jupiter, Mercury, Bacchus, Venus, Mars, and the whole rabble of licentious Deities, were only dead mortals, fubject, in life, to the fame paffions and infirmities with themselves; but having been, on other accounts, benefactors to mankind, grateful pofterity had deified them; and, with their virtues, had indifcreetly canonized their vices."

The fabulous Gods being thus routed, the Supreme cause of all things naturally took their place. HIM they were taught to confider as the Creator of the univerfe, who pervaded all things by his virtue, and governed all by his providence. But here it must be observed, that the discovery of this fupreme caufe was fo made, as to be confiftent with the notion of local, tutelary Deities, beings fuperior to men, and inferior to GOD, and by him fet over the feveral parts of his creation. This was an opinion univerfally holden by antiquity, and never brought into queftion by any Theift. What the arcana of the Myfteries overthrew, was the vulgar polytheifm, the worship of dead

men.

• To prevent or rectify mistakes, I fhall add, that the Pagan Theology prefents us with two forts of Deities, who had their original here below, and were advanced from the condition of mortality into Gods: the one were denominated Dii majorum, the other Dii mi

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norum

norum gentium. The firft, or the Celeftials, were not generally conceived to have been deceafed mortals, but originally beings of the highest rank and order, or true and real Gods in their own right, and not in virtue of any deification, which had raised and exalted them to this ftate; fuch were Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Vulcan, and many others. As for the Dii minorum gentium; these were known to be only deceased mortals, deified for their public benefactions and fervices: they were often called Heroes and Dæmons: they were held the proper objects of divine worship and adoration, but a worship and adoration far fubordinate and inferior to that, which was paid to the fovereign and fupreme Gods, or the Dii majorum gentium.

The mystagogue discovered the error of the vulgar polytheism, and routed this rabble of the greater Gods, by fhewing that they were only dead men deified. By this means he divested them of their fuperior characters, and put them on the fame foot with the Dii minorum gentium, or the deities of the lower class and order. For it is not to be imagined, that the knowledge of their human exiftence would have totally undeified them, and deprived them of all divine honours and adoration; but only that it must have degraded and reduced them to the lower degree of worship, which was paid to the inferior deities, or the heroes and dæmons.

This is all which the prefent fyftem or explication of the Myfteries requires us to fuppofe. The inftitutors detected the human original of the greater Gods to a few, that their bad examples might not hurt private morals. They were generally esteemed Celestial Deities; and, while regarded as fuch, might be fafely imitated in all things: the Myfteries brought them down to Terreftrial, and then they were to be imitated with caution and referve.

However, it was natural for thefe politicians to keep this a fecret in the Mysteries; for, in their opinion, not only the extinction, but even the degradation, of their falfe Gods, would have too much difconcerted and embroiled the established fyftem of vulgar polytheism.'

After giving this concife account of the Bishop of Gloucester's reprefentation of the Pagan religious Myfteries, our Author proceeds to examine Dr. Leland's two propofitions, wherein he contraverts his Lordship's opinion: the first is, that the Mysteries did not detect the error of the vulgar polytheifm. The fecond, that they did not teach the unity. As the fubject cannot be fuppofed to be interefting to the generality of our Readers, we fhall refer thofe who are competent judges of it to the differtation itself, where they will find many plaufible things advanced in answer to Dr. Leland's objections, and more decency in the manner of attack than is usually to be met with in those of the Warburtonian party. R.

Art: 53. Several Difcourfes preached at St. James's, Westminster. By George Baddeley, D. D. Curate of St. James's, Westminster. 8vo. 6s. 6s. Keith.

Plain and useful exhortations to a pious and virtuous life.

SERMONS.

SERMONS.

1. Before the House of Commons, at St. Margaret's Weftminster, Jan. 30, 1766. By J. Barnardifton, D. D. Matter of Corpus Chrifti College, in Cambridge. Johnfon, in Ave Mary Lane.

II. At the Ordination of the Rev. Mr. Edward Harwood of Bristol, and the Rev. Mr. Benjamin Davies, of Marlborough, Oct. 16th, 1765, in the Old Jewry, London. By the Rev. Mr. Thomas Amory. To which is annexed, the Rev. Mr. Harwood's Confeffion of Faith, and a Charge delivered by Samuel Chandler, D. D. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Becket. We recommend the Perufal of this Sermon, &c. to all thofe who are engaged in, or defigned for the miniftry; they will find in it many obfervations that well deferve their ferious attention.-The difcerning Reader will likewife be pleased with Mr. Harwood's confeffion of faith, and his pertinent anfwers to the questions propofed to him.

III. At St. John's Chapel, Birmingham, Dec. 27, 1765; on the Excellency and Ufefulness of Mafonry: before a refpectable Body of the ancient and honourable fraternity of Free and Accepted Mafons. By the Rev. Thomas Bagnal, A. B. Stuart.

IV. The Doctrine of Tranfubflantiation clearly and fully confuted; from Common Senfe; from the unerring Atteftation of the Senfes; from the indubitable Maxims of Philofophy; from the Proof of our Saviour's Miracles, vouched by himself; and from the Words of his Mouth, repeated and attefled by St. Paul, and three Evangelifts. By Patrick DeÎany, D. D. Dean of Down, in Ireland. Johníton.

V. Family Religion.-On Jofhua's Refolution, Chap. xxiv. 15. By Thomas Reader. Buckland.

VI. The Appearing of Chrif, the chief Shepherd, confidered and improved. On the Death of Mr. Sanderfon, Paftor of the Diffenting Con gregation at Bedford, Jan. 24, 1766. By Samuel Palmer. Buckland.

VII. At Euftace-ftrcet, Dublin, Jan 16, 1766, on the Death of the reverend and learned John Leland, D. D. who departed this Life on the 16th of the fame Month, in the 75th Year of his Age. By Ifaac Weld, D. D. Johnflon.

In this difcourfe, Dr. Weld (as ufual in funeral Sermons) gives a fketch of the life and character of that truly amiable and excellent perfon, whofe death was the occafion of its being delivered:-the particulars will, doubtlefs, be very acceptable to all who were perfona ly acquainted with the worthy Doctor, or converfant with his learned, valuable and celebrated writings.

The late Sermons by the Drs. Sharpe and Kennicott, in our next.

The Continuation of our Account of Dr. Blackstone's Commentary is deferred to the next Month's Review.

We have received an anonymous letter containing fome objections to our account of Mr. Tr's Trigonometry: but it will be foon enough to fhew the injuftice of the charge, when the Writer has demonftrated that Mr. Tr's artificial numbers are deduced from true principles. For every attempt to folve mathematical problems by methods founded on erroneous principles, must be confidered as an attempt to substitute error in the place of truth.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For A PRI L, 1766.

Public Prayer. A Treatise in Two Parts. Part 1. Reprefenting the Advantages and Disadvantages of fet Forms, and their refpective Moment in determining the Mode of Public Worship. Part II. Pointing out the Defects of Public Free Prayer, as practifed among Proteftant Diffenters, and directing to proper Methods of Reformation and Improvement in that Mode of Worship. 12mo. 25. Buckland.

IN

N the Advertisement prefixed to this Treatife, we are told, that it has more than one author; which, indeed, without any fuch declaration, must be evident to every difcerning reader; the fecond part, though not without its merit, being obviously inferior to the first.

The defign of the firft part, which is written with freedom, -moderation, and Judgment, is to fhew the expediency and usefulness of free prayer, in preference to forms. In the introduction, the Author gives his readers a few ftrictures on the authority and antiquity of the two modes of prayer. As to the point of authority, he obferves, that the fcripture neither exprefsly enjoins, nor forbids, by any positive precept or prohibition, the praying with or without a form; that one mode of worship may nevertheless be better, and more eligible than another, though it is not enjoined as univerfally neceffary in all cafes; that if any mode of worship is preferable to another, the preference must be justly due to the primitive mode, whatever that might be, as Chrift and his apoftles, and all their pious followers in the firft and pureft ages, certainly worshipped God in the best way and manner.

He further obferves on this head, that the practice of the primitive church, fo far as can be collected from the New Teftament, is in favour of free-prayer; that the filence of fcripture, with refpect to the particular mode of prayer, argues much more ftrongly for free prayer than for forms, as it is not to be fupVOL. XXXIV.

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pond,

pofed, that the great founder of the Chriftian church would have left it without forms, or given no direction for the compofition of them, if they had been abfolutely neceflary, or generally expedient and useful.

As to the point of antiquity, he obferves, that it is allowed by the most celebrated and learned writers in favour of forms; that free-prayer was the primitive mode of worship among Chriftians; that the first introduction of forms into the Chriftian church was upon an occafion by no means honourable to them, namely, the grofs ignorance and fcandalous infufficiency of fome minifters towards the clofe of the fourth and beginning of the fifth century. He concludes his introduction with fome general remarks, and proceeds to confider the advantages of forms, the principal of which are thefe following:

Set forms eftablifh and fecure the unity of faith and worship, reduce all the churches to an uniformity, prevent any disagreement or contradiction in their petitions, and inftruct them, as they worship the fame God, to worship him with the fame mind and voice. Forms of prayer are an useful, and, in fome cafes, neceffary relief to the infirmities of mankind; particularly, in times of general and prevailing ignorance, when few are to be found, otherwife capable of conducting the public devotions, with tolerable propriety or decency.-Set forms claim the honour and advantage of exact and accurate compofition. Where they are introduced, it is reasonable to fuppofe that learning, genius, and study, will all be employed, to give the highest poffible finishing to them; and, in the ufe of fuch forms, the worfhippers depend not on the abilities of their minifter, whether they must offer up proper and becoming petitions in suitable language and method. Whereas the performer in free prayer is liable to run into much incoherence, and, in confequence, to violate grammar, apply mean and vulgar phrafes, ufe tedious repetitions, dwell too largely upon fome topics, and omit or glance too flightly upon others, and the like, which cannot fail of expofing the public offices of religion to fome degree of contempt or neglect.-Set forms are an ufeful curb upon the wild fancies and licentious paflions of fome men, that may be employed in leading the public devotions.-Set forms give people the advantage of bearing a vocal part in the public prayers.-The people, who worship by a prescribed form, are apprized beforehand of what they fhould join in as their addrefs to God. When the people depend upon their minifter for the matter of their prayer, there must be more uncertainty whether it will be such as they can confcientiously join in. They must hear in order to underftand, and underftand in order to judge; and if what they have heard be agreeable, they adopt it, and offer it as the devout breathing of their hearts to God; the mind paffes throngh this

procefs