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obferved fimilar appearances; but the former feems chiefly to fail in extending this influence to other countries. He acknow leges, that it is much lefs obfervable at Madrafs; and yet fuppofes that it has fome effect on fevers in ftill more diftant climates. He has chiefly mentioned Hippocrates, as having obferved the influence of the moon on the periods of fevers; but he might have added Ramazzini, Ballonius, Diemerbroek, and fome others. It may be alleged that, if this be true, it should long fince have been eftablished beyond a doubt; but, independent of its having been little attended to, fo ftrong are the prepoffeffions against any regular progrefiion in fevers, that critical days are, even now, generally disbelieved.

Yet, on mature reflection, we fee an epidemic fo gradual in its fteps, and uniform in its appearances; we fee attacks fo frequent, patients in different periods of the lunar revolution affected in the fame way, and the events, at all times, fo nearly alike, that we muit either difbelieve the influence of the moon, or fuppofe that our meafures counteract it. In either cafe, attention to it, except as a matter of curiosity, is useless. But we fhould rather fufpect, that the influence is confined to the warmer climates; for our author ufed the bark very liberally, a medicine that more effectually disturbs the operations of fever than any other.

This Treatife is written with candour and good fenfe. We fhall felect that part of it where the author endeavours to adapt his obfervations to the common putrid and nervous fevers of thefe climates. We muit, however, premife, that the three days previous to both the full and change of the moon, are moft fatal, either in inducing dangerous fevers, or in influenc ing the terminations. Each period confifts, therefore, of fix days, of which the most powerful are thofe of the full and change themfelves. The intervals are comparatively mild.

In the cafe of putrid fevers, continuing nineteen days, I fuppofed that there muft have been a ftrong putrid tendency in the habit, and that the febriferous influence of the air which prevails at the full and change, co-operating with this tendency at thefe periods, had the power of producing a fever on the fecond day from their commencement: and that before means could be used to stop or correct this difpofition in the patient's habit, the fever continued to run. on through the firft full or change, and fucceeding interval, and alfo through a fecond full or change; but that the putrid tendency being now in fome degree overcome by medicine, and at the fame time the febriferous influence of the full or change removed by the arrival of the fecond interval, a crifis of confequence immediately took place at this juncture, juft about nineteen days from the firft attack.

In the cafe of putrid fevers continuing only feventeen days, I fuppofed that in them the putrid tendency of the habit was fomewhat lefs at the beginning than in the former cafe; and

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that the febriferous influence of the full or change had not power to excite a fever until the fourth day of the period, when the putrid tendency was farther advanced; that the fever continued to run on during the remaining days of that full or change, through the fucceeding interval, and also through another entire full or change, in the fame manner as the fever of nineteen days; and that at laft, from the concurrence of the fame causes, it terminated critically, immediately on the commencement of the fecond interval; just about seventeen days from the first attack.'

The Benevolence of the Deity, fairly and impartially confidered. By Charles Chauncy, D. D. Senior Pastor of the First Church of Chrift in Boston, America. 8vo. 4s. in Boards. Dilly. THIS work is divided into three parts. The first explains

the fenfe, in which we are to understand benevolence, as applicable to God.-The second afferts, and proves, that this perfection, in the fenfe explained, is one of his effential attributes. The third endeavours to answer objections,'

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• Under one or other of these heads,' Dr. Chauncy gives us to understand, in his title-page, that occafion will be taken to view man as an intelligent moral agent; having within himfelf an ability and freedom to will as well as to do, in oppofition to neceffity, from any extraneous caufe whatever: to point out the origin of evil, both natural and moral and to offer what may be thought fufficient to fhew, that there is no inconfiftency between infinite benevolence in the Deity, which is always guided by infinite wifdom, and any appearances of

evil in the creation.'

Such is the method in which our author means to condu&t his confiderations on this important fubject. He seems fenfible of its involving a folution of the great queftion of the origin. of evil, which has hitherto baffled metaphyficians and divines. There is, however, reason to think fufficient data are wanting for a fatisfatory determination of this enquiry. It is not enough previously to demonftrate all the attributes of God; it should feem neceffary to afcertain their measure in explicit and decifive terms, and then to prove their perfect confiftency together, under the measures afcertained. Should we allow the first of these three points, namely, the existence of the divine attributes, as ufually defined, to have been abfolutely demonftrated, the measure of each ftill remains unfixed, and muft remain fo till clear ideas of their extent, and adequate terms to express them, can be found. To fay that the attributes of the Deity are infinite, immeasurable, &c. is admitting that VOL. LX. 08. 1785.

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we cannot comprehend their extent, and can confequently take no measures of them. But yet without them nothing fufficiently conclufive to fatisfy the mind can ever, we appre hend, be done in any efforts to folve this mighty difficulty of the origin of evil. If it be answered, that we may draw all the neceffary conclufions from the nature of the divine attri butes, without understanding their extent or confiftency, we think it too much to concede, in propriety of language, that even their nature can be wholly understood previously to our being able to afcertain these two important circumftances. If what is here faid be admitted, it will feem to follow, as is above fuggefted, that we have not at prefent fufficient data to account conclufively for the origin of evili Great merit, however, is to be given to those who have exerted the beft efforts of learning and genius. on fo momentous a fubject. Although the author before us does not profeffedly make it his principal enquiry, it is nevertheless fo involved in, and connected with it, that we thought it incumbent on us to advert frequently to the above confiderations; and we confess ourselves influenced by them in rejecting fome of his conclufions. But it is neceffary to give our readers fome idea of the execution of this work.

The firft part, or fection, being employed in afcertaining the fenfe in which perfect and abfolute benevolence is to be attributed to the Deity, we felect the following fummary pa ragraph, as conveying the author's ideas on this topic as fully as can be done through our medium.

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The fum of what has been faid concerning benevolence, as attributed to the deity, is, that it fuppofes 66 a natural state of mind, inclining him to the communication of good; a state of mind analogous to kind affection in us men, only as kind affection in us is attended with frailty, in him it is abfolutely perfect, both as to mode of existence, and manner of exercise : that, as he exists a free agent, in the highest and moft: glorious fenfe, he is not mechanically, or neceffarily, urged on, from this natural difpofition, to the communication of good; but acts herein voluntarily, and of choice: and, in fine, that, as he is an infinitely wife and intelligent, as well as free, agent, his exertions, in order to the production of good, are never unfit, never unreasonable, but always fit, reasonable, and abfolutely and perfectly fo. So that, in one word, benevolence in the Deity fignifies precifely the fame thing with "a difpofition freely to communicate all the good that is confiftent with wife and fit conduct:" for, fupremely perfect benevolence of nature, being, in him, conjoined with an all-comprehending understanding, and unerring wisdom, he must know all the

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ways of producing happiness, and the greatest fum of it that can be wifely produced: and this, therefore, is the happiness that may reasonably be expected fhould be produced by him; that is to fay, all the happiness to the whole, and every part of the creation, that can be, not in refpect of omaipotence, confidered as a natural power, but in the way of fit and reafonable conduct. What this comprehends, is not diftinétly and Fully known b by creatures, formed with fuch narrow capacities as our's: for which reafon, in all perplexed cafes (as to us there must neceffarily be many) it becomes us to be modest and cautious; ever taking care that we do not rafhly determine that to be inconfiftent with goodnefs, wifely and reafonably dif penfed," which, in reality, may be a good argument in proof of it, and would appear to us to be fo, had we one entire view of the whole cafe, in all its connections and dependencies.'

They who admit, as fatisfactory, the mode of analogical reasoning, from the qualities of men to the attributes of God, will find little to object to, in this paffage.

Dr. Chauncy, before entering formally into argument on the main subject of his fecond fection, defires the following remarks, which might have been ftyled poftulates, may be well confidered. We can only transcribe them without their several illuftrations, which extend to many pages.

1. This fyftem of ours is not to be confidered fingly and by itself, when we are arguing about the benevolence of the Deity. And for this plain reafon; because there are other systems of beings, to whom God has made manifeftations of his good

nefs.

2. In arguing concerning the divine benevolence, we ought not to confider its difplays as they affect individual beings only, but as they relate to the particular fyftems, of which they are parts. All particular fyftems are probably related to fome univerfal one, and, properly fpeaking, are fo many parts conftituting this great whole, defigned by the Deity for the full manifeftation of his infinitely perfect benevolence.

3. We must not judge of the benevolence of the Deity merely from the actual good we fee produced; but fhould likewife take into confideration the tendency of thofe general laws, conformably to which it is produced; because the tendency of thefe laws may be obstructed, and lefs good actually take place than they are naturally fitted to produce.

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4. We muft, in judging of the divine benevolence, carry Our thoughts beyond the prefent to fome future ftate of exiftence, and confider them as connected in the divine plan of operation for good.'

The author, after having fufficiently expatiated upon thefe poftulates, to leave little doubt of their reafonableness, pro

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ceeds to take a comprehenfive view of the natural and moral world; and endeavours to make it evident, from what is there to be feen, that we are, obviously and fairly led to form an idea of the perfect and abfolute benevolence of the Deity. As it would be impoffible, within our limits, to purfue the writer through the various Reps of his argument, we fhall refer our readers to the book itself, and content ourfelves with tranfcribing two fhort paragraphs, to fhew the plan on which the argument is conducted.

I have it not in my view, here, minutely to confider all the effects of benevolence apparent in the conftitution and go vernment of this world of our's. This would be beyond the reach of my ability, and a needlefs labour. It will be a fufficient enforcement of the prefent argument, if fo much is faid as to make it plain, that all the good, fuitable for fuch a system as this, is apparently the tendency of nature, and the divine administration; and that it actually prevails fo far as this tendency is not perverted by the creatures themselves, whom God has made; for which he is not answerable, as has been hinted already, and will be more fully thown hereafter,

The way in which I fhall endeavour to illuftrate this important fubject fhall be by giving, in the firft place, fome general touches on the vifible frame of inanimate nature; then by taking fome tranfient notice of the inferior creatures made capable of happinefs; and finally by viewing more critically and fully the intelligent moral beings, in this world, towards whom the divine goodness has been displayed, in the largest measures.'

On the whole of this fection we must remark, that the author has difplayed confiderable ability, and has prefented his argument with force and perfpicuity.

Although we cannot follow him through the train of his reasoning, our readers will not be difpleated to fee here fome particular paffages of this fection. Dr. Chauncy's account of the different degrees of perfection in the intellectual powers of different men, is worthy of attention.

• This difference in men's capacities, whatever it is owing to, whether a difference in their original implantation, or a difference in the body's mechanifm, either of which amounts to precifely the fame thing, in the prefent argument: I fay, this inequality of powers is fo far from arguing want of goodnefs in the Deity, that it ftrongly illuftrates the glory and per

fection of it.

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Poffibly, the gradation in beings, by means of which all fpaces are filled up, could not have been fo accurately complete, unless there had been a difference between the individu als in each fpecies as well as between the fpecies themselves.

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