rious to his peerless majefty and incommunicable perfections, and, in the mind of the offerer, a falfe and unworthy reprefentation of him to others? This feemed a trick in religion, which the honeft mind of that Prelate would have ftill lefs endured."

After fome reflections upon the improbability of any refor mation's being admitted in our unfcriptural forms of worthip, Mr. Lindley acquaints us, that, in this ftate of things, he had no choice left, but either to change the public fervice of the church, and make it fuch as he could confcientiously officiate in, or quietly to retire. He could not reconcile himfelf to the former, because he looked upon the declaration of conformity and fubfcription at inftitution to be fuch folemn ties, that he could not be eafy under fo great a violation of them. But could he have brought his own mind to it, there were fome things, in his fituation, which would have made fuch a change impracticable.

Upon the most calm and ferious deliberation, therefore, fays our Author, and weighing of every circumftance, I am obliged to give up my benefice, whatever I fuffer by it, unless I would lofe all inward peace and hope of God's favour and acceptance in the end. Somewhat of a tendency to an issue of this fort, my friends may have occafionally obferved, or recollect to have been dropt in converfation, or by letter: but I refrained from naming it directly, and thought it became me to be filent till the time approached, as my reafons were not another's; nor my conduct a rule for theirs; nor did I know, or believe, that any one had fuch cogent motives to leave his ftation or ministrations in the church as I had."

The example of an excellent perfon, now living at Wolverhampton, Dr. Robertfon, has been a fecret reproach to me ever fince I heard of it. For I thought, and perhaps juftly, that he might not have all those reasons of diflike to our established forms of worship that I had; and, though myself not without unknown ftraits and difficulties to ftruggle with, and not alone involved in them, yet have I not all thofe diffuafives and difcouragements that he paints forth in his affe&ing letter to the Bishop of Ferns, fubjoined to his inftructive and learned work, and which I fhall take leave to infert as an ornament and fuitable conclusion of my subject and book.

"In debating this matter with myself (fays that worthy mán) befides the arguments directly to the purpose, feveral Strong collateral confiderations came in upon the pofitive fide of the question. The freightness of my circumftances prefled the clofe: a numerous family, quite unprovided for, pleaded with the most pathetic and moving eloquence. And the infirmities and wants of age, now coming fast upon me, were urged feelingly. But one fingle confideration prevailed over all these.

--That

-That the Creator and Governor of the universe, whom it is my firft duty to worship and adore, being the God of truth, it must be difagreeable to him to profefs, fubfcribe, or declare, in any matter relating to his worship and fervice, what is not believed frilly and fimply to be true.

From this account of himself, it appears that Mr. Lindsey has acted with a circumfpection, and delay, which shew him to be not only an upright, but a candid, judicious, and soberminded man.

The Doctrinal part of the Apology, will be confidered in our next Review.

K.

ART. XIV. Three Difcourfes. I. Upon the Man after God's own Heart. II. The Faith of Abraham. III. The Seal of the Foundation of God. By Edward Evanfon, M. A. Svo. 1 s. 6d. Law.

1773

HE first of these discourses is founded on As xiii. 22. in which text, according to the interpretation generally received, David, King of Ifrael, is denoted, by the phrafe, the man after God's own Heart. Mr. Evanfon, among others, diflikes this explication, and thinks it attended with very great, if not infuperable difficulties. Reason, he apprehends, fuggefts that the life of him who hath any claim to the above title, fhould be unftained with any one vice, at leaft of a heinous kind, if not abfolutely perfect. He proposes therefore to examine whether the writers of the Old or New Teftament, in the paffages where this phrafe occurs, were really speaking of the perfon of King David: And I perfuade myself, he says, that fuch an enquiry will very fully convince us, that had not this part of the facred hiftory been, in general, imperfectly underftood, the common objections of unbelievers, far from seeming to gain ftrength, as I fear they have done, from the unfatisfac tory, evasive answers ufually made to them, would have appeared to be utterly without foundation.'

In fupport of that interpretation which this Writer has to offer, he remarks, that in the writings of the Old Teftament, what is spoken of the father, efpecially regarding future events, is scarce ever meant of the father's own perfon, but is almost always prophetic of the will of Providence with respect to the whole or fome particular part of his pofterity.' He produces some inftances of this kind, and proceeds, by this rule, to examine the declaration of the Prophet Samuel, concerning David, which is repeated by St. Paul in the words of our Author's text. He obferves that what is faid of fettling the kingdom on David, is

Attempt to explain the words reafon, fubftance, &c. p. 241.

6

evidently

evidently put in contraft to the denunciation of God's rejecting Saul from being King. It is clear that this rejection was not to be understood literally of the perfon of Saul, fince he reigned fome years afterwards, and was in poffeffion of the regal dignity to the day of his death. This part of the prediction muft therefore be explained as refpecting the pofterity of Saul, who were excluded from the throne of Ifrael. Since then, fays our Author, it is evident that the rejecting Saul from being King, is only prophetic of the rejection of Saul's family, God's having found in David a man after his own heart, which is mentioned in the very fame breath of the holy prophet, may very reasonably be regarded only as prophetic likewife of God's finding that character in the family of David.'

To thefe reflections Mr. Evanfon adds a farther argument, drawn from the laft claufe of the verfe under examination, viz. which fball fulfil all my will; a declaration which, he thinks, by no means accords with David's moral and private conduct; nor can he confider it as applicable to him in his public capacity, because he did not build the Temple at Jerufalem, without which the ritual and worship of the Jews was incomplete. But, it may be asked in refpect to the last article, might not David be faid, in his public character, to have accomplished the will of Providence, although he did not erect the Temple, which it was plainly the Divine intention fhould be effected by another hand? However, from thefe and fome other confiderations, Mr. E. draws his conclufion, that no man but the Messiah could poffibly fulfil all the will of God, and therefore nothing more could be meant by the divine teftimony which was given of David, than a prophecy, that this Saviour of the world should be one of his offspring-Thus, he adds, I think it appears that the whole charge of inconfiftency in the holy Scriptures, with all the impious fcoff and ridicule of unbelievers, on David's account, is founded only in their own misapprehenfion of the writings they undertake to criticife. And indeed, I am fatisfied, it will be ever found, when matters are brought fairly to an issue, that the doctrines of revealed religion (as they are really contained in thofe facred books) are founded on the stedfaft and immutable rock of truth, and will abide for ever.'

The two difcourfes which follow are fenfible and practical. The fecond is on the faith of Abraham, from Rom. iv. 22. Its tenor will appear by the fhort paffage we here infert. • We fee then that the faith preached up to us and recommended by the great Apoftle, does not fignify the profeffion of our belief in any propofition refpecting the nature of God; nor in declaring our approbation of any form of words whatever, intelligible or unintelligible; but in a full affurance that the things which God hath spoken, he will infallibly perform, in a firm truft and

reliance

reliance on the goodness and providence of our Almighty Creator, and a ready and exact obedience to all his plain commands. Happy had it been for mankind, if this doctrine of the Apoftle had been at all times preached by the teachers of the Chriftian church! we should not now lament the fad perversion of our holy religion, which at present prevails in every country of Chriftendom."

The third difcourfe is intitled, The Seal of the Foundation of God, from 2 Tim. ii. 19. In this, as well as in the foregoing difcourfe, the Author appears to be a zealous advocate for the liberty of private judgment, and he writes in a spirited strain againft creeds, fubfcriptions and impofitions. When religious faith, fays he, is founded on the opinions of men, it must be an inexhaufted fource of ftrife, contention, and difpute; because so long as there are different men, there must be different opinions in the world. The firft evil confequence therefore, which followed the preferring human interpretations of the Word of God before that infallible Word itself, was to root out all that brotherly love and univerfal benevolence, which our bleffed Saviour hath made the only diftinguishing mark of his true difciples; to split the members of Chrift's body into numerous fects and factions; and make them defpife, hate, perfecute, and even destroy their brethren who differed from them.' Again, in another place, fpeaking of creeds, he fays; Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, and from whom no fecret is hid, well knows how right and ftedfast our faith is in him and his Anointed, without our ftanding up fo many times a-day, or so many times a-week to acquaint him with it. And as to our fellow-creatures, they cannot know us one bit the better for fuch profeffions; becaufe it is not in the power of man to difcern, whether what we utter be the real dictates of our hearts; the unmeaning verbiage of parrots; the fpecious cant of hypocrify; or the mere echo of our party. What wife man therefore, or what benevolent Chriftian would wish to offend the consciences of any of his weak or fcrupulous brethren by the public ufe of any formularies of belief, even though he himself should fincerely approve of every thing contained in them!'

The three fermons in this pamphlet are followed by annotations on particular parts of them, which appear very fenfible and judicious. The writer is naturally led, by fome of his obfervations, to take notice of the Archdeacon of Winchester, who has advanced propofitions fo very different from those which are here laid down by Mr. Evanfon; who is no friend to the highflown claims of bigotted churchmen. Bigotted churchmen, therefore, are not likely to prove friends to him; and accordingly, we learn that Mr. E. is, at this time, actually under profecution

profecution in the fpiritual court, for omitting, in his official capacity, the Athanafian parts of the fervice of the church. On this occafion, we are told, a great number of the inhabitants of the parish, unknown to Mr. E. held a meeting, at which a very handfome fum was fubfcribed, for the maintainance of his caufe: at the fame time declaring their refolution to raise a farther fupply, if it should be found neceffary. This readiness, in a body of laymen, to fupport a pious and confcientious clergyman, and fave him from finking under the weight of legal op

preffion, reflects great honour on the town of Tewkesbury. Hi. MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For JANUARY, 1774.

EAST IN DIE.S.

Art. 15. An Account of the Proceedings at the India House, with refpect to the Regulations propofed to be made Bye-Laws by a Committee of Proprietors, elected by Ballot for that Purpose, and agreed to by a General Court: Particularly thofe relative to the Shipping of the Company, by which they would have faved above 100,000l. per Ann. that were afterwards very irregularly rejected. Alfo the Profits that would accrue to the Ship-Owners, by having their Ships contracted for, at the full Builder's Measure, and at moderate Prices for Freight; inftead of the late ruinous Method of Charter-Party Tonnage, at exorbitant Prices. Impartially ftated by one of the Committee. 8vo. is. Payne. 1774.

ΤΗ

HE mifmanagement of the India Company's, fervants at their fettlements and factories abroad, has long been arraigned, and was little to be wondered at, confidering the remoteness of the scenes of action. Inquiries of this nature once begun, often bring circumftances to light that were never imagined, and it is now discovered that the managers of the Company's affairs at home, have been guilty of most enormous abuses in the article of fhipping; that private jobs on all hands, by mafters as well as fervants, both at home and abroad, have been carried on, to the great injury of the proprietors at large, and have embarraffed the Company's affairs, notwithstanding the great profits upon their trade, and the boafted revenues derived from their territorial acquifitions.

The abufes in contracting for fhipping, were explained some time face, by Sir Richard Hotham *, who first made an offer to the Company of his fhip at a much lower rate per ton, than the customary contracts; but which tender was ftrangely rejected. It is afferted in this narrative, that between the years 1766 and 1771, the tonnige employed was more than double of what was necessary for the ex:ra. vagant importation made during that interval; that this importation was fuch as they could not poffibly find a market for, on which account not only the expences of freight, but of warehouses, and all

* See Rev. vol. xlviii. p. 327.
F

REV. Jan. 1774.

other