of the gospel fhould become the occafion of animofity! and that "the waters of ftrife" fhould begin to flow at the very fount where we renounce the world, the flesh, and the devil. "The If our difputants had reflected on one text in the Proverbs, they would have faved themselves and us a good deal of trouble. beginning of ftrife is as one letteth out water, therefore leave off contention before it be meddled with." Art. 49. Remarks on the Monthly Review of the Letters to Dr. Horfley, &c. &c. By Jofeph Priestley, LL. D. 8vo. 6d. Johnfon, 1784. In the opinion of the impartial Public, we have already fo decided a fuperiority in the late controverfy with Dr. Priestley, that we think it would be quite fuperfluous to pay any particular attention to thefe unimportant remarks on the Review. As to the name of the gentleman whom Dr. P. has thought proper to introduce into this pamphlet, as his Reviewer, we fhall obferve an inviolable filence; nor can our readers be furprized when we decline all eclaircissement on the subject. Whether the Doctor is right or wrong, (as a gentleman he cannot be thought right) in regard to the name which he has thus brought forward, it is a matter of fmall importance to the Public, We have only to add, at prefent, that little notice will ever be taken, in our Journal, of fuch unwarrantable attacks; as it cannot be expected that we should now deviate from the rule which was laid down at the commencement of our work, of " never anfwering to names, whether real or prefumed." The freedom of a Reviewer's obfervations can only be fecured by the veil that conceals his perfon-It feems indeed, neceffary, in moft cafes, that critical and controverfial works fhould be anonymous, where it is practicable; for the discovery of names is ever apt to divert the reader's attention from what is faid, to him who has faid it; and will conduce more, by exciting favour or refentment, to warp the judgment, than to advance the cause of truth, or to promote the interelt of learning. N. B. The gentleman who hath been particularly engaged in the late controverfy with Dr. Priestley, had no hand or concern whatever in the foregoing article; which is only to be confidered as conveying the general fentiment of the corps of Monthly Reviewers. SERMONS. I. A Difcourfe on Predeftination. By the Rev. John Walker, A. B. late of Immanuel College Cambridge. 8vo. 6 d. Lowndes 1783. It hath been frequently faid that predeftination militates against the justice and mercy of God; but we never heard it afferted before, that the Doctrine is entirely fubverfive of his Omniscience. This is a new attack on it: and from a quarter too the least expected; nay, it is attacking it from a quarter which hath been prefumed to contain its chief fortrefs. But the rev. John Walker though he appears in general to claim the prerogative of affirming and afferting without condescending to give his reafons or bring his authorities, hath in this inftance (being fomething novel) produced both the why and the suberefore; and we think the proof to be as fingular as the pofition. Dd 4 Should Should it, fays he be demanded on this occafion, how the admiffion of a Doctrine of this nature militates against the idea we are taught to entertain of Omniscience, I answer, if the Deity predetermines actions, there can be no honour due to him for predicting them. Hence must we cease to admire that attribute which we can fo readily account for? This is an inverse ratio of all reasoning: and it hath the peculiar advantage of being fecure from all reply! II. Faith and Works. Preached at St. Luke's, Chelsea, Feb. 29. 1784 By Richard Sandilands, Ball. Coll. Oxon. Chaplain to the Right Hon. Vifcountefs Dowager Hereford. Published at the defire of the Parishioners. 8vo I s. Cadell. The defign of this very feasonable difcourfe is highly commendable, viz. to illuftrate the fcripture doctrines of FAITH, and of WORKS; and to demonftrate, from the fcriptures themselves, in oppofition to the Enthufiafts of the age, that the former, without the latter, is infufficient for our eternal falvation. FOREIGN CATALOGUE. DIVINITY. Art. 1. Apparatus Hebræo-biblicus, feu Mfeti. editique Codices Sacri Textus, quos poffidet, novæque Var. Lect. Collectioni deftinat Joн. B. DE ROSSI. Pariæ. 8vo. pp. 8o. 1782. WE E mention this tract, though of so old a date, merely to acquaint Our readers, that the learned Author is now printing by fubfcrip tion, the Variantes Lectiones he there engaged to publish. The work is to confift of 4 Vol. 4to. the first of which will appear in the course of next month. We have it from the beft authority, that the Author poffeffes not fewer than 479 manufcripts, and 243 printed editions of biblical books in Hebrew; of which fcarce any of the former have been collated by Dr. Kennicor; or were even known to him. LAW. 2. Loix penales. Penal Laws. By M. DU FRICHE DE VALAZE, Alençon. 8vo. 1784. The character given of this book, in one of the beft French journals, is much in its favour. PHYSIC. 3. Des Maladies des Femmes. Of the Disorders of Women, by M. CHAMBON DE MONTAUX, of the Medical Faculty of Paris, 2 Vol. 12mo. Paris: 1784. This work relates chiefly to the diforders incident to women, in confequence of parturition. According to the character given of it by the commiffioners who reported upon it to the Royal Society of medicine, it should be one of the best treatises yet written on the subject. MATHEMATICS, and Natural Philofophy. 4. Memorie di Matematica e fifica della Societa Italiana. i. e. Mathematical and Philofophical Memoirs of the Italian Society. Tom. I. 4to. pp. 853. Verona. 1782. Actuated by a fpirit of patriotic emulation, the principal Ita lian Philofophers have at length refolved upon a general national fociety, which, though unchartered, unprotected (as far as we ean learn) by any public authority, feems yet to bid fair, if we may judge by this first publication, to vie with many more fplendid eftablishments. The fociety is divided into two claffes, the mathematical and the philofophical, and no new member is admitted without the unanimous confent of the clafs into which he defires to be incorporated. We hear of no regular meetings, and probably there are none, the members refiding in various, and fome in remote parts of Italy. Their intention is to publish a volume every two years.-The following is a list of the valuable Effays contained in this first volume. Part I. 1. Barletti. New principles of the theory of electricity relating to pointed conductors. 2. Bofcowich. Theory of the new ftar obferved in England. 4. 5. 7. 8. On the defcent of heavy bodies along the convexity of curvilinear tubes. -- On the logarithms of negative quantities, and on imaginary quantities. 9. Landriani. Defcription of a new rain-gauge. 10. Mofcati and Landriani. Refearches and obfervations tending to improve the barometer. 11. Lorgna. On the fummation of feries. 12. On fluxions. 13. Morozzo. On the purple precipitate obtained from the gas pro cured from tin. 14. Riccati. On the fonorous vibrations of cylinders. 15. Saluzzo. On the decompofition of fal ammoniac by means of lime. 16. Spallanzani. On the reproduction of the heads of fnails. 17. Ximenes. On fome improvements in the windlass. Part II. 18. F. Fontana. On heat, respiration and fixed air. 19. Lorgna. On Cardan's rule. 20. Malacarne. On the encephalus of birds. 21. Malfatti. On a problem of chances of D. Bernouilli. 22. Zeviani. On the ufe of bark in the fmall-pox. 5. The Grand Master of Malta has lately eftablished in that island an Obfervatory under the direction of the Chevalier d'Argos. The advantages of its fituation mul render this a welcome piece of intelligence to the promoters of aftronomy, and in fact we have already reaped fome benefit from this establishment, the Chevalier having been the first who discovered the late comet, feen by him on the 22d of January laft, near the tail of the whale. 6. A II. and IV. Volume of the Baron DE MARIVETZ and M. GOUSSIER'S Phyfique du Monde (Coimological Syftem) are publifhed. The Public are intitled to a continuation of our account of this work; the Ist and IId Volumes of which have been reviewed: Vide M. R. Vol. LXVII. p. 260 and 577. In cur next Appendix, which will appear on the ift of Auguft next, we propofe to refume our particular review of this article. CHEMISTRY. 7. PROF. CRELL, of Helmftad, a name too well known to need any of our commendation, has, ever fince the year 1778, publifhed a periodical work, giving an account of all chemical dif coveries and improvements. It appeared at firft under the title of Chemifches Journal, (Chemical Journal) of which there are fix parts. It then received the name of Neuefte Entdeckungen in der Chemie, (newest discoveries in chemistry) of which 12 Parts were published at the end of the last year: and it is now continued under the title of Chemifche Annalen (chemical annals) of which two numbers are published, and which are to be continued monthly. The fame Au. thor compiles alfo another periodical work, intitled Chemisches Archiv (Chemical Repofitory), in which he propofes to collect all the chemical tracts difperfed in the feveral publications of all the philofophical focieties of Europe. The firft number appeared towards the latter end of last year, and two numbers are intended to be published annually. NATURAL HISTORY. 8. Effai d'une Théorie fur la Structure des Chriftaux: An Effay towards a Theory of the Formation of Chryftals. By the Abbé HAUY, Prof. of Belles Lettres in the University of Paris. 8vo. with 8 Plates. Paris. This work has procured to the Author the honour of being admitted a member of the royal academy of fciences. Till we can judge for ourselves, we must take this as a prefumptive proof of the merit of his performance. 9. Tremuoto accaduto nella Calabria. i. e. An Account of the Earthquake that happened in Calabria and at Messina, on the 5th of February 1783. By MICH. TORCIA, Keeper of the Archives to his Sicilian Majefty. 8vo. pp. 31. Naples, 1783. A fhort, accurate, and well written account of that dreadful cataftrophe'; fo fays one of the best Italian journalists. ARCHEOLOGY. 10. De Infcriptionibus Palmyrenis, quæ in Museo Capitolino adfervantur, interpretandis, Epiftola F. Aug. Ant. Georgii Eremitæ Auguftiniani. Romæ. 8vo. pp. 176. 1782. The public is indebted for this letter to the learned Prof. Adler, who during his ftay at Rome took an exact copy of these two infcriptions, (which have already been published by Gruter, Barthelemy, &c.) and communicated them to father Georgi, who has here engraven them, and given a new interpretation of them. This tract we hear is inferted in the fourth Vol. of the Museum Capitolinum lately published, but of which we have not yet feen a copy. CLASSIC s. 11. PHÆDRI Fabularum Libri V. cum notis et Supplementis GAR. BROTIER. Accefferunt Parallela Joannis de la Fontaine Fabula. 12mo. Paris. 1783. This is a continuation of Barbou's neat edition of the claffics which confifts now of 68 Volumes: critics feem to be better pleased with the the industry of the editor, than with the erudition and taste of the commentator. TRADE and Finances. 12. The two directors of the Commercial Academy at Hamburg, Prof. BUSCH and M. EBELING, have juft published the first number of a Merchant's Library (Handlungs Bibliothek) in which they propofe to collect all political, historical, and geographical information relating to trade, that may appear interefting to them. Eight numbers are to be published annually. We are fo well acquainted with the merits of the editors, that we cannot doubt of the utility of this work. This number contains much matter relating to our Eaft India Company. We have already of Prof. Busch, a work on the Influence of the Circulation of Money on the political Oeconomy of a State. 2 Vol. 8vo. printed at Hamburg, 1780, which we are perfuaded will be read with profit, even after Steuart's and Smith's elaborate publications have been carefully perused. If ever (as we fully intend) we retrograde in our accounts of good German books, this is one of those we fhall think ourselves bound to enlarge upon. HISTORY and Geography. 13. Hiftoire Générale et particuliere de la Boheme. General and particular Hiftory of Bohemia. By the Abbé ANDRE. 8vo. Prague, 1783. This is the firft volume of a work that is to be continued. The hiftory of Bohemia is here brought down to the reign of Premislaus I. Anno 890. The Author is a Frenchman, who fuperintends the edacation of a young nobleman at Prague, and who is faid to have had access to the best documents.-The foreign journals commend this work, and the specimens they have given us of it are written with fpirit. But we have juft reafon to be always upon our guard again ft French hiftorians; and in fact we do not find that this Author has authenticated his narrative by any references to the fources from which be has derived his information. 14. Lettres Edifiantes et curieuses, écrites des Missions étrangeres: Tom. XV and XVI. 12mo. Paris. 1783. Many of our readers may not yet have heard, that a new Edition of this well known work has been recently published. Thefe two vo lumes are fupplementary to that edition, and contain feveral interefting pieces which never before appeared in print. 15. Les Livres Claffiques de l'Empire de la Chine. The Claffical Books of the Empire of China, collected by Father NOEL; to which are prefixed, Obfervations on the Origin, Nature, and Effects of moral Philofophy in that Empire. 2 Vol. 12mo. Paris. 1784. 16. Delaffemens de l'homme fenfible. i. e. The Recreations of a Man of Feeling, or various Anecdotes by M. D'ARNAUD. 12mo. Paris. 1783. We have now the first part of the fourth vol. of this collection, which is to be continued monthly. It confifts of historical examples of virtue, not all perhaps fufficiently authenticated, but which will be read with pleasure by thofe who have not yet lost the edge of generous fenfations.' |