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taken in fuppofing that the doctrinal fentiments of others are fundamentally erroneous, either with refpect to the object of worship, or the method of acceptance. He thinks the Krongest objections to them are of a very different nature: that thofe objections, however, are not peculiar to them, and are far from being univerfal; that both parties, if they were properly difpofed, might compromife the dif ferences which fubfift between them, and unite in promoting the common caufe; but that even without fuch union, they are both useful in their different ways, and among the different perfons with whom they are connected.

It is further added, concerning the Author of thefe Letters, that though he is not a stranger to Mr. Fawcett, he believes that gentle. man is, to this hour, unacquainted with the present defign; which was undertaken, not fo much from any partiality to him, as to the caufe in which he has embarked.'

The above declarations are candid and catholic; and the Letters appear to be written in conformity to them: though fome readers may poffibly think the Author too fevere on his antagonist. Art. 36. The Paffion; or, a defcriptive and critical Narrative of the Incidents, as they occurred, on each Day of the Week, in which Christ's Sufferings are commemorated with Reflections calculated for religious Improvement. By Thomas Knowles, D. D. Prebendary of Ely. 12mo. 3 s. L. Davis. 1780.

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The nature of this publication is fufficiently explained by its titlepage. The Commentators that have been principally confulted by this Writer, either for fettling the harmony of the Evangelists, or illuftrating fuch paffages as were doubtful, are, Whitby, Doddridge, Lightfoot, and Benfon.

There feems to be little to recommend this orthodox fyftem of mechanical devotion, befides the piety of the intention with which the Author profeffes it to have been compofed.

SERMONS.

I. Preached in the Parish Church of Rotheram, before the Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Moft Ancient Grand Lodge of all England, his Officers, and the newly constituted Rotheram Dru idical Lodge of Free and Accepted Mafons, Dec. 22, 1778. By the Rev. Brother John Parker, G. Chaplain, Vicar of St. Helen's in York. Published at the Requeft of the Grand Mafter and the rest of the Brethren. 4to. 1 S. York printed. 1779.

Mr. Parker, with great zeal, pleads for the antiquity and excellence of the Free Mafon fraternity. He traces it to the Land of Ca naan, and of Egypt: he reckons Abraham, Mofes, Elijah, John the Baptift, the three Wife men from the Eaft, &c. &c. among the number. He appears to wish and hope, that fome in the prefent day will be perfuaded to unite themselves with this famous brotherhood; and he addreffes fome wholesome exhortations to those who are already of the band.

II. Preached at St. Martin's Church, Coney-Street, York, Decem ber 28, 1778, before the Fraternity of the Provincial Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honourable Society of Free and Accepted

Mafona

Mafons of the County of York, and published at their Request. By the Rev. William Johnfon, P. G. C. Curate of St. Mary's, Caftle-gate, and St. Olave's in Mary-gate. 4to. I S. York

printed. 1779.

This Difcourfe, preached a few days after the former, defends, as that does, the caufe of Free-Masonry, and speaks of it in the most honourable manner. I may venture, Mr. Johnfon fays, with great propriety, to style Mafonry the Centre of Unity.' He mentions this particularly on account of fome punctilios and modes of worship,' in which, he obferves, the members of this fociety may differ; yet these matters, he adds, are eafily adjusted, by the judicious and admirable inftitutions and regulations of the Lodge.' Piety, justice, bene. volence, every virtue, according to this Writer, are inculcated and promoted by Free-Mafonry. In fhort, it is faid, even our apparatus and our jewels are admonitory. The white apron is an emblem of innocence. The fquare points out to us the duty of fquaring all our actions by the rules of juftice, without partiality. The compaffes direct us to circumfcribe all our defires within the bounds of prapriety and moderation. Our implements and ornaments have not been adopted by whim and caprice; but are all emblematic, fuggefting to us the practice of fome ufeful and fubftantial virtue.'

Let us endeavour, fays he, in the clofe of the difcourfe, by our upright conduct, to convince the world. that we are good men and true ; that piety towards God, and unfeigned love for each other, are the two grand points of our aim; that we have formed our plan on the perfect model of God's will, as it is revealed to us in the facred volume; the natural refult of which will be, that we shall put to filence the ignorant and ill-natured fuggeftions of foolish men, and fhall attract the efteem of the good and virtuous.' Thefe are good exhortations; how far Masonry tends peculiarly to advance their obfervance, we know not.

CORRESPONDENCE,

The following Letter comes from an occafional, and very respectable, Correspondent, to whom we are under too many obligations to admit of a moment's hefitation with respect to its infertion: as to the charge of inadvertency, here brought against us, we leave it to the judgment of our Readers.

GENTLEMEN,"

UNDER impreffions of great refpect for your judgment, and a high opinion of your candour, I now addrefs you, to recal your attention to an Article in your Review for July.

As fincere and enlightened friends to the liberty of your country, it certainly is your wish to promote, at this melancholy period, a careful investigation of every ras tional plan for reftoring our shattered conftitution. I am fure you agree with me in thinking, that a plan for fo great an undertaking, provided it be complete and unexceptionable in the main points, ought not to be left unattempted, because of trivial omis fions which any hand might fupply; much lefs, on the fuppofition of defects which had no existence. I refer to the plan of Major Cartwright for reftoring annual Parliaments, and a true reprefentation of the people, as given in The People's Barrier againft undue Influence and Corruption; reviewed in page 53.

I truft, Gentlemen, you will take no offence, if I offer it as my opinion, that your judgment on that publication was delivered fomewhat inadvertently. The bare reading of the Article itself has probably made the fame impreffion upon the minds of ethers who never read the book; because that judgment is expreffed in terms not ex

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aly correfpondent to your own previous recital of the matter and merits of the work There you lay, the Author establishes the natural right of the people to a voice in the election of their reprefentatives," and that "he fhews, that thofe acts which introduced first triennial and afterwards feptennial parliaments, were fundamental viola tions of the Conftitution:" fo that I was furprised when you afterwards declared your doubts on the expediency of restoring annual parliaments.

The objections which you fuppofed might be fuggefted, were,

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1. The "danger left this important truft should fall into the hands of men of low education and inferior abilities; fince it is not to be expected, that a fufficient number of gentlemen of independent fortunes, and adequate accomplishments, would think a feat in Parliament for a fingle feffion an object worthy of their attention.

"2. If on an annual election there were frequent changes, the nation would perhaps be kept in a state of continual ferment; and the greater part of the Houfe of Commons might be at all times unexperienced in parliamentary bufiness.

3. If changes were not frequent,-if public tranquillity and a general spirit of inattention to national concerns, fhould give the fame perfons a feat in Parliament for feveral fucceffive feffions, they wouid fcon become liable to all that undue influence at prefent fo juftly complained of."

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Surely, Gentlemen, thefe two or three if when weighed against a digefted and comprehenfive plan for reftoring our loft freedom, and faving our finking country, muft be lighter than a feather in the fcales of fober judgment and found reafon! But every one of these objections the Author was fo well aware of, that, as occafion offered, he has fhewn their total want of foundation. Such paffages as my memory enabled me to turn to, I refer to in the margin *. Lying interfperfed with the other far more important arguments, in writings of confiderable length, I am not however surprised that they should have escaped your recollection.

In reply to the firft fuppofition, it may be asked, whether, in the prefent ftate of things; a candidate's education or abilities make in general any part of his recommendation to a feat in Parliament? And would they not, provided the reform had taken place, necef farily be among the principal recommendations of every candidate? Whether merit would not be more confidered when the law-makers fhould be chofen by, than now that they are impofed upon, the People, will fcarcely bear reafoning upon. As to the value which the accomplished gentleman might fet on a feat in Parliament for a fingle feffion, it would, I apprehend, be precifely in proportion to his public fpirit and pres bity. But the men who do now covet thofe feats, and would decline them in annual and uncorrupt Parliaments, are the very men whom it is the object of this plan to ex clude, be their birth, fortunes or accomplishments what they may. Befide which, through an excess, as I think, of caution, it provides against the poffibility of wanting proper reprefentatives, by an exertion of those powers of the Conftitution which anciently proved effectual, and which in various other inftances are ftill resorted to.

As to the first part of the second supposition, a mature confideration of THE WHOLE OF THE PLAN TAKEN TOGETHER, including in particular parochial elections by ballot, and the eradicating of election bribery which is the cause of tumult, as well as parliamentary corruption, which gives rife to all violent contention for feats, muft, as it appears to me, convince every candid mind, thas if it were carried into execution, election ferments would no longer produce the smallest inconvenience in the state. The fecond part of this fuppofition can need no refutation, unless we are to imagine, that, to be free neceffarily implies to be foolish: for I know not on what principle it can be fuppofed, that when the people (being really free) want good laws, they should appoint school-boys or notorious novices to make them. Admitting however the fact, improbable as it is; their feelings would in due time teach them wisdom, and, being free, they would then correct the error. At prefent they are not free, being not reprefented; and, as a Parliament which does not depend on them will not redress their griev ances, fo they have evidently no conftitutional means of redreffing themselves, but those which no lover of peace would have recourse to without the greatest reluctance.

* See The People's Barrier, p. iv. of the Introduction, and p. x. of the Pr-fabytory Addrefs. See alio p. 38, 71, 109, Art. LVI. 110, 117 Q, 122 EE and The Legiflative Rights of the Commonalty vindicated, p. xii. xv. xvi. xxiv. of the Introduction. See alío p. 23, 24, 45, 66, 68, 92, 94, 99, 100, 104, 142, 158, 159, 165, 163, 227, See alfo Corrupt Influence removed, p. 9, 10, 16; and Hift Efay on the Engli Conftitution, p. 149.

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Now, with regard to the third fuppofition, which stands upon ground oppofite to the fecond, 1 fcarcely know whether, after what has been said, it needs any reply. 'Tis a fingular dilemma, Gentlemen, into which you seem to have brought yourselves, by fuggefting that the plan might be productive of frequent changes, and might not be produ&tve of frequent changes, and for either of thofe reafons would be defective. This is placing it between two fires with a witness; but as the Major has fortified it tolerably well, and these batteries are oppofite to each other, poffibly they may filence one another without doing the smalleft injury to the plan. Be it, however, admitted, that men long kept in Parliament by annual re-elections for their merit alone, might become "liable" to influence: what then?Why, no minifter would attempt to exercife that influence over them, and for this plain reafon: The act itself would deftroy the caule of every former election, and render it highly improbable they should fucceed in another e at leaft fo very precarious, that no fuch men could be worth purchafing. The very idea of purchafing a majority of a Parliament fo circumftanced, is extravagant to the highest degree. Every well informed and candid mind muft, I think, pronounce it, impracticable. Notwithstanding this too, let it, for argument fake, be alfo admitted, that, through the infenfibility of the people, their reprefentatives, by not being frequently changed, should be corrupted; and fill it will furnish no objection to this plan; but the contrary: for the inftant that, either in the shape of taxes or of arbitrary controul, it should recal them to their feeling, they would neceffarily correct the evil; because by the operation of this plan they would have the power fo to do, whenever they thought proper to exert that power.

But now that I have vindicated Major Cartwright's plan from ideal imperfections, I will also at the part of a candid Reviewer, and point out two real defects. 1. He hath not provided that every member of his reformed parliament shall be returned by more than balf of the electors; notwithstanding he lays it down as a principle, and very juftly, that without fuch an election no man can be the true reprefentative of any elective body. And, 2d, The proposed regulation in Article XXIX. p. 102, is evidently inconfiftent with this principle. As it was elsewhere provided, that only one member should be chofen by any one elective body; fo here, care fhould have been taken, that in cafe there were three or more candidates, whereby the most favoured candidate might have a number of votes les than half of the grofs number polled, fuch moft favoured candidate should not as yet be deemed duly elected. But, in order to make the election final, those two candidates who had the greatest number of fuffrages in their favour, fhould now be put up over again by themselves, and a new election between them alone take place. This, it is probable from the plan under our confideration, would happen but feldom; but whenever it did happen, the repetition of the ceremony would occafion little trouble, but must prove decifive, and would give the elective body a representative according to the true principles of reprefentation. I conceive there are no other equitable means of getting out of the difficulty.

If you will indulge me, Gentlemen, with the publication of these remarks, for the length of which I hope the importance of the subject will be a fufficient apology, you will greatly oblige your admirer,

ALFRED.

P. S. The Objections of " One of our ableft and most independent Senators" against triennial Parliaments, with which your ftrictures are clofed, do not in the fmallest degree apply to annual Parliaments, when elected and guarded as propofed by the plan for a proof of which I refer you to p. 126.

***The Conclufion of the Life of Garrick, by Mr. Davies, is neceffarily poftponed to our next.

+++ Other favours of Correspondents must be acknowledged at the clofe of our next Review.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For NOVEMBER, 1780.

ART. I. Madan's THELYPHTHORA; or, Treatise on Female Ruin, &c. CONTINUED:-See laft Month's Review.

TH

HIS reverend Author, in an Advertisement prefixed to his Treatife, affures his Readers, that he doth not fcruple to call it one of the most interefting publications that have appeared fince the days of the Proteftant Reformation.'

The emancipating priefts from the bondage and hazard of celibacy, was a bold effort of Luther; and as he himself was among the first who gave the example of marriage to churche men, the heroifm of his conduct, in fo fingular an enterprize, added force and credit to the freedom of his principles. Mr. Madan adverts, with fome degree of exultation, to this notable circumftance; and obferves, that the marriage of priests was as frange, and deemed as criminal an action, in our own country, formerly, as polygamy would be at prefent, were it to be restored to its ancient honour, and established by the legiflative authority of the realm. He confiders the law that impofes celibacy on the priesthood, and monogamy on the laity, as iffuing from the fame polluted fource of anti-chriftian tyranny and fuperfti tion and pushing the liberty of the gofpel beyond the bounds which even Luther had prefcribed to it, he boldly fteps forward to complete what the Reformation had but partially effected; and pleading the fanctity of his intentions, and confiding in the goodness of his caufe, he cheerfully leaves the event of his refearches, and the fuccefs of his endeavours, to the bleffing of Providence!

Mr. Madan, indeed, is not the first Proteftant writer who hath food forth the champion of polygamy on the holy ground VOL. LXIII.

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