Atheifm therefore is not only an irreligious, but an immoral fcheme. On the contrary, Deifm, or the belief of an independent, intelligent Being, who created and prefides over the universe he has made, lays a foundation for religious regard : and if it fhould further appear, that this independent Being is wife and benevolent; that he is continually exercifing a wife, juft, and gracious government over his creatures; communicating happiness to them according to their several natures and capacities; and, by the immutable counfels of his providence, over-ruling and conducting all things to the univerfal good; then is there a foundation for religion of a most amiable and liberal kind, and fuch as will have a moft powerful and extenfive influence in favour of Virtue and good manners. Deifm therefore must be confidered as the great bafis of all religion; and it is, at leaft, probable, that a Deift will be a good man: and if Chriflianity be a fcheme of religion which fuppofes the existence of GOD; afferts his univerfal righteous providence; and is, in its conftitution and genius, friendly to the interefts of virtue, it is likewife probable, that a fund Deift will be no enemy to Chriflianity; and confequently, as our Saviour fays, is not far from the Kingdom of Heaven." There is another point of light in which we could have wifhed our author to have confidered Deijm, diz. as the belief of ONE fupreme intelligent Caufe, in oppofition to Polytheim; or the belief of two, three, or more Supreme Ecings. Deifm is not more diftin&t from Atheism, than it is from Polytheijn; and though the latter does not, like the former, deft oy all religion, yet fo much does it diftrast and confound the minds of men, and fo wile an avenue does it open to a variety of idolatries and fuperftitions, that it moft certainly injures pure religion; and was, in fact, the fource of those numerous evils and corruptions, of which our Author fo much complains, in the heathen world. Admitting that the great multitude of the pagan deities were not confidered in the fame point of dignity and authority with the Supreme DEITY, but as fubordinate agents and minifters; itill they were reprefented to the generality of the people as the proper objects of worship, and divine honours; whi h naturally withdrew the attention of mens minds from him who is over all, and who, as the fource of all good, is the fole object of fupreme worship; and as thefe inferior deities were frequently reprefented to be revengeful, cruel, lafcivious, abominably wicked, and addicted to the work of human vices; the confiiering thefe as worthy objects of religious homage naturally led them them to a corrupt and barbarous method of worship; cherifhed the most savage difpofitions in their breasts; darkened. their natural fenfe of good and evil; funk them into the loweft ftate of vice and ignorance; and only prepared them to be more perfectly enflaved by their priefts and leaders, who found their account in fuch a fyftem of religion. Deifm therefore, as oppofed to Polytheism, and afferting the existence and providence of only One eternal, powerful, wife, and benevolent Mind, is a fcheme highly favourable to true religion and virtue; and moft perfectly confiftent with the inftitution of Christianity, whofe fundamental principle is, There is but ONE GOD. That there were DEISTS of this fort in the heathen. world, who believed the unity of GOD, who emancipated themselves from the groffer errors of paganifm, who entertained very pure apprehenfions of the divine perfections, and gave many wife and excellent inftructions for the conduct of human life, may be acknowledged: but, notwithstanding all this, they outwardly conformed to the rites of paganism; and gave the fanction of their example to those follies and fuperftitions of their countrymen, which in their hearts they defpifed, and knew to be attended with the worst effects. Our Author thinks, "that in this they were very justifiable on the score of prudence and felf-prefervation; and that it was no more than a prudent compliance, which conciliated the tempers of men towards them, and obtained a more favourable hearing to fuch things as were of real importance." But in this we differ from him; and think we cannot help perceiving, in his inftance, the ill effect of a religious eftablithment on a mind, upon the whole, enlarged and open, fenfible and honeft. Compliance, obedience, accommodation, and fuch-like prudent, felf-preferving virtues, are well taught, and generally well-practifed, in moft religious eftablifhments: but we will be free to fay, that one inftance of fpirited oppofition to the errors of the times, and the corruptions of true religion, even from a few wife and good men, would be attended with more folid advantages to the best interefts of mankind, than a whole life of compliance and time-ferving prudence. Such paffive principles are of all others the greatest enemies to reformation. If our worthy and venerable ancestors had acted upon fuch views, we should have been fill in darknefs: and till the time comes, when spirit and honefty fhall get the better of timidity and compliance, all hopes of farther reformation must be at a distance. Our worthy Author excufing us in this digreffion, we with pleafure recommend our readers to attend him through the latter part of his plan; wherein, having already ftated the notion of Deifm, and prefented the ftate of it in the heathen world; he confiders Deifm under divine revelation, and gives a general view of Chriftianity, as contained in the Scriptures. This part of the treatie is introduced with an account of the ftate of religion before the publishing of Christianity. It is obferved, that the Jewish difpenfation, though a very ceremonious one, was inftituted to preserve the doctrines of pure Deifm from being entirely loft in the Polytheifm of the neighbouring nations; that the fucceeding prophets among the Jews, were eminent Deifts, of fuperior rank, and higher authority to thofe in the heathen world; and who, not by complying with, but by exclaiming against the corruptions of their countrymen, explaining the nature of true religion, and recommending the practice of virtue and moral goodness, were the inftruments of Providence in preferving the knowledge and worship of the true God among that people, in oppofition to idolatry and indeed it might have been faid, that the great defign of the Supreme Being, in the whole economy of his providence amongft mankind, from the beginning, was to accomplish this great end; and to prepare men for that more perfect ftate of pure and improved DEISM, which was to be introduced by the inftitution of JESUS CHRIST. The Author now proceeds to his general view of Christianity; in which he confiders, 1. The Author of Chriftianity, his fpirit and character: 2. His chief employment, or the principal object of his preaching and miniftry. 3. The liberty he afferted, and the advantages accruing from it. The fentiments throughout the whole of this part are senfible and rational: the view that is given of the gospel and its first founder; of its conftitution and genius; of its morality; of its peculiar doctrines; of the proper manner in which it ought to be ftudied and examined; and the spirit of true moderation and freedom in which it is wrote, will, we are perfuaded, be generally acceptable to thinking and inquifitive men. From the whole, we are ourfelves convinced, that Chriflianity is true Deifm; that it is the pureft fyftem of the knowledge and worship of God; and that therefore a rational belief in God is the beft preparation for receiving Christianity. Christianity. In a state of natural religion, as good Deifts, we acknowledge and worship the one only true Gov; wherein we ceafe to be Atheifts or Polytheifts: as Chriftians, we are ftill Deifts, with this difference, that we not only acknowledge, GOD, but JESUS CHRIST, whom GOD has fent. We difmifs this Article with acquainting our Readers, that this little pamphlet is introduced with a very fenfible preface, and a dedication to the younger clergy of the church of England, in which are many things that deferve their attention. A fhort Introduction to English Grammar: With critical Notes. 8vo. 3s. Boards. Millar. TH HE public is indebted for this judicious performance to the ingenious and learned Dr. Lowth. It was originally intended merely for a private and domeftic ufe; and the chief defign of it, is, to explain the general principles of grammar, in as clear and intelligible a manner as poffible. Accordingly the Author avoids all difquifitions, which have more of fubtilty than of usefulness in them; in his definitions he fometimes prefers eafe and perfpicuity to logical exactness; complies with the common divifions, as far as truth and reason permit; and retains the known and received terms, except in one or two inftances, where others offered themselves, which feemed much more fignificant. In a word, his Introduction is calculated for the use of the learner, not excluding even the lowest clafs. Thofe, who would enter more deeply into the fubject, will find it treated, as Dr. Lowth justly obferves, with the greatest acutenefs of investigation, perfpicuity of explication, and elegance of method, in a treatife entitled HERMES, by JAMES HARRIS, Efq; the most beautiful and perfect example of analysis that has been exhibited fince the days of ARISTOTLE:Of this work we had the pleasure of giving an ample account in the VIth volume of our Review, p. 129. "The following short fyftem, fays Dr. Lowth, is propofed only as an effay upon a fubject, though of little efteem, yet of no small importance; and in which the want of fomething better adapted to real ufe and practice, than what we have at prefent, feems to be generally acknowleged. If When this was written, the ingenious Mr. Prieftly's tract on this fubject, which we recommended in our Review for January last, had not appeared. C 3 thofe, thofe, who are qualified to judge of fuch matters, and do not look upon them as beneath their notice, thall fo far approve of it, as to think it worth a revifal, and capable of being improved into fomething really ufeful; their remarks and affiftance fhall be received with all proper deference and acknowledgment." Such are the modeft terms in which our Author expreffes himself in regard to his performance. In his preface there are fome very fenfible and perinent obfervations on the English language, which, during the laft two hundred years, has been much cultivated, confiderably polished and refined, and greatly enlarged in extent and compals: its force and energy, its variety, richnefs, and elegance, have been tried with good fuccefs, in verfe and in profe, upon all fubjects, and in every kind of ftyle; but whatever other improvements it may have received, it hath made no advances in grammatical accuracy. It is now about fifty years fince Dr. Swift made a public remonftrance, addreffed to the carl of Oxford, of the imperfect ftate of our language; alleging, in particular, that in many inftances it offend d against every part of grammar. The jufinefs of this complaint has never been questioned, and yet no effectual method has hitherto been taken to redrefs the grievance of which he complains. Dr. Lowth, in confidering this charge, obferves, if it means that the English language, as it is ipoken by the polite part of the nation, and as it ftands in the writings of our moft approved authors, oftentimes offends against every part of grammar, the charge, he is afraid, is true. If it farther implies, that our language is in its nature irregular and capricious; not fubject, or not eafily reducible to a fystem of rules; in this respect, he is perfuaded, the charge is wholly without foundation. The English language, we are told, is perhaps, of all the prefent European languages, by much the moft fimple in its form and conftrution; accordingly, our grammarians have thought it hardly worth while to give us any thing like a regular and fyftematical fyntax. It is not owing then to any peculiar irregularity or difficulty of our language, that the general p.actice both of speaking and writing it, is chargeable with inaccuracy. It is not the language, our Author obferves, but the practice that is in fault. The truth is, grammar is very much neglected among us; and it is not the difficulty of the language, but, on the contrary |