SINGLE SER m on s. I. Religious Declenfion, &c. Preached before the Diffenting Minifters of Lancashire, at their Annual Meeting at Bofton, June 20, 1787. By W. Tatterfal. 8vo. 6d. Johnson. The fubject of this difcourfe has generally been treated by divines in a loose and declamatory manner; but it is not thus that Mr. Tatterfal treats it. His fermon is, on the whole, well written; and contains many juft obfervations on the prefent declining ftate of religion, which we heartily with were properly attended to. But the misfortune is, the perfons whom thefe obfervations moft concern, will neither hear nor read fermons. There is, however, one class of men, whom, it is to be hoped, Mr. Tatterfal will not addrefs in vain, —his brethren in the ministry. In the latter part of his discourse, in which he points out fome of the means which may contribute to the cure of religious decay, he recommends a practical strain, and a more familiar fyle of preaching; which would certainly add to the efficacy of pulpit eloquence. Seeking (fays Mr. T.) to become correct and elegant, we become unintelligible; or, if not abfolutely unintelligible, yet our compofition is weakened, or rendered too faint to make any deep or permanent impreffion. It is furprising how little the generality, loft in the world, and estranged from intellectual employment, can comprehend of a well-written difcourfe. Of many words and fentences, which we think as plain as poffible, they have no definite ideas. If they have fome confufed guefs at our meaning, yet a chafte and literary reprefentation has not much effect. Could we condefcend to borrow our words from common life, our illuftrations and arguments from common things, fhould we not gain much more attention?' ***There is a phrafe in this fermon which we fuppofe is a provincial one Wrefting our pulpits into the hands-of enthufiafts. II. Preached at the Octagon Chapel, Bath, for the Benefit of the General Hofpital, on Sunday, Dec. 23d, 1787. 8vo *. This difcourfe, as appears from an advertisement prefixed, is the compofition of Mr. Badcock; who modeftly apologizes for the publication, by faying that it was written in much haste, and without the moft diftant view to the public eye. The apology, however, is unneceffary; for the fermon is written in a strain of good fenfe and manly eloquenee, which does great credit to the Author. III. The Analogy between the LIGHT of INSPIRATION, and the LIGHT of LEARNING, as Qualifications for the Minifiry:- Preached in the Cathedral Church of Glocefter, at a public Ordination of Priests and Deacons, September 9, 1787. By the Rev. Samuel Horley, LL. D. F. R. S. Archdeacon of St. Albans, &c. 4to. 15. Robfon, &c. The learned Author, after drawing a picture of the schismatics whom St. Paul cenfures in his first Epistle to the Corinthians [in which he appears obliquely to calt an eye upon modern times], ad We believe this difcourfe has not been published; only a few copies having been printed, for the Author's friends. vances an ingenious conjecture, that there were nine diftinct extraordinary gifts of the Spirit beftowed upon the firft Christian churches, and nine diftinct ecclefiaftical offices, correfponding to the former. The first gift, the word of wisdom, annexed to the first office, that of the Apostles, he fuppofes to have consisted in an intuitive knowledge of philofophical truth, and a talent of arguing from the natural principles of reafon, for the converfion of philofophical infidels. The fecond, the word of knowledge, annexed to the office of prophecy, he understands to have been, a prompt recollection of all parts of the facred writings, and a capacity of holding learned arguments from the ancient prophecies, to filence the objections of Jewish adverfaries. Thefe gifts he conceives to have been to the first preachers instead of education: he afferts, that the Apostles were, by infinite degrees, the best informed of all philofophers, and the prophets of the primitive church were the foundest of all divines. They were not phyficians or anatomifts; becaufe they had the power of curing difeafes and healing wounds without medicine or But they were profound metaphyfians; the beft of moralifts; well informed hiftorians; acute logicians, and excellent in that strain of eloquence, which is calculated for the conveyance of inftruction, the enforcement of duty, the diffuafion of vice, the conviction of error, and the defence of truth.' As thefe gifts were to the first preachers instead of learning, fo in thefe later ages, learning is intead of them.' What real foundation there is for the ingenious conjecture on which the reasoning of this difcourfe is built, we fhall not stay to enquire. We must not, however, pafs, without notice, an obfervation, incidentally introduced, which we think is indefensible: It may indeed be made a queftion, whether any degree of knowledge may justify the officious interference of an individual, of his own pure motion, in a business of fuch ferious concern to the community. For if it be allowed in any fociety, that mere ability conftitutes a right to act in any particular capacity; the confequence will be, that every man will be juftified in the ufurpation of any office in the ftate, by his own opinion of his own fufficiency. The extravagance and the danger of this principle, applied in the civil departments, would be readily perceived. A man, who, from a conceit of his own abilities, fhould take upon him to play the Magiftrate, the General, or the Privy Counsellor, without a commiffion regularly obtained from the fource of civil power, would foon be fhut up in fome proper place, where he might act his fooleries in fecret, without harm to his neighbour, or public difcredit to himfelf. The reafon that the extravagance and danger of the fame principle is not equally perceived, when it is applied in the ecclefiaftical polity; and that difturbers of the ecclefiaftical conftitution are fuffered to go loofe, while other madmen are confined, is only this: that the interests of the church are not so seriously confidered, as thofe of the ftate; because its good government, and its diforders, come not fo immediately home to the particular interests of each member of the community.' * From 1 Cor. xii. 8, 9, 10. We We do not fee that those who voluntarily take upon themselves the office of religious teachers, are, of courfe, disturbers of the ecclefiaftical conftitution, and, by violent means, to be filenced as madmen. The voluntary affumption of a civil office would be illegal, as it would be contrary to the furrender which the community has made of its powers into the hands of the magiftrate, for the fecurity of the whole: but the interference of an individual in the bufinefs of public inftruction invades no delegated rights, and can be illegal, in no country, in which religious perfecution is not employed as an inftrument of tyranny. CORRESPONDENCE. S. P. W. is referred to the undermentioned errata. The words, unlike every other,' fhould have been expunged; but in the hurry which ever attends the printing our last monthly fheet, that correction efcaped. Our readers have frequently been requested to excufe fuch inaccuracies as muft unavoidably happen in a publication fo reftricted in point of time, as not to allow a revifal of the proof fheets. In many other countries, however, there are certainly better methods than in this for fweeping chimnies, Germany in particular; but the Reviewer thinks that still better might be devifed. The inconfiftency, therefore, which S. P. W. mentions, is eafily reconciled. We wish, however, that he had reconciled it according to his own fancy, for the fcarcity of time that does not allow us to correct fimilar errors, renders the answering of fuch letters troublesome.— His other Letter in our next; the prefent fheet being full. See Mr. Andrews's" pamphlet, which was the subject of the article that occafioned this letter. Il Candidus fays that he has observed a confiderable mistake in Our account of the 19th article in the Medical Memoirs (See Rev. for Nov. laft, p. 360.); and that the two cafes of hydrophobia there recorded were not under Dr. Johnstone's direction. The firft was not in the fecond, Dr. Johnstone was fent for at an advanced period of the disease. We are doubtful whether, under fuch symptoms as are here recorded, it was poffible to have prevented death. Mercurials ought certainly to be adminiftered at an early period of the hydrophobia. 48 A long anonymous letter from (as we fuppofe) the author of Great Doctors differ,' [See Rev. for laft Month, p. 266.] is received. We doubt not the good intentions of the zealous writer; but, to publish his remonftrance' would be truly inconfiftent with the nature of our undertaking. Nauticus is received. His expoftulation is taken in good part, as every thing of the kind ought to be, that is dictated by politenefs. We do not differ much from him in opinion, with regard to the main object of his Letter; but we cannot fay more. ERRATA in our last. P. 215, 1. 1, after by Bartolozzi,' infert, from a painting by Dance. – 261, 1. 18, dele the words unlike every other.' THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For MAY, 1788. ART. I. Defence of Ufury; fhewing the Impolicy of the prefent legal Restraints on the Terms of pecuniary Bargains. In a Series of Letters to a Friend. To which is added a Letter to Adam Smith, Efq. LL. D. on the Difcouragement opposed by the above Reftraints to the Progrefs of inventive Industry. By Jeremy Bentham, of Lincoln's Inn, Efq. 8vo. 3 s. 6d. Payne. 1787. T HE prefent age is not, we believe, diftinguished from those that are paft, by any peculiarity more than by that liberality of fentiment arifing from a free difcuffion of political queftions, which our forefathers had thought so decided as to admit no fort of doubt; and which, therefore, it was our duty to admit as infallible truths, without difficulty or hesitation. Among the many valuable works of this nature that have claimed our attention, none demands a higher rank, on account of the perfpicuity of its arguments, and perhaps the national importance of its conclufions, than the little volume which forms the fubject of the prefent article. We view it as a political gem of the fineft water, that requires only to be examined with attention, in order to be admired. Our ingenious Author introduces his obfervations with the following very pertinent remark: Among the various fpecies or modifications of liberty,' fays he, of which, on different occafions, we have heard fo much in England, I do not recollect ever seeing any thing yet offered in behalf of the liberty of making one's own terms in money bargains. From fo general and univerfal a neglect, it is an old notion of mine, as you well know [this treatife is written in the form of letters, dated from Crichoff, in White Ruffia], that this meek and unaffuming fpecies of liberty has been fuffering much injuftice. A fancy has taken me, juft now, to trouble you with my reasons : which, if you think them capable of anfwering any good purpose, you may forward to the prefs: or in the other cafe, what will give you lefs trouble, to the fire. In a word, the propofition I have been accustomed to lay down to myself on this fubject is the following one, viz. That no man of ripe years and of a found mind, acting freely, and with his eyes open, ought to be hindered, with a view to his advantage, from making such VOL. LXXVIII, Cc bargain, bargain, in the way of obtaining money, as he thinks fit: nor (what is a neceffary confequence) any body hindered from supplying him, upon any terms he thinks proper to accede to.' With a view to inveftigate the truth or fallacy of this propofition, Mr. Bentham proceeds to enquire into the validity of the arguments that he conceives might be adduced in fupport of this particular restraint upon liberty, which he thinks might all be included under one or other of the five following heads: 1. For prevention of ufury. 2. Prevention of prodigality. 3. Protection of indigence against extortion. Repreffion of the temerity of projectors. Each of thefe fubjects he examines in order, and proves, with a force of argument which we think muft insure conviction to every unprejudiced mind, that if thefe have been the reasons for eftablishing the restraint in queftion, the law establishing that reftraint has proved in every cafe either hurtful or nugatory. But we must not content ourselves with barely announcing this general conclufion on this curious topic of difcuffion; our Readers will naturally with to be poffeffed of fome of the leading arguments by which the foundations of a doctrine which has been fo long acquiefced in by a clear-fighted people, jealous of any infringement of their natural liberties, fhould be fo effectually loofened; and it is our duty, not less than our inclination, in this cafe, to anticipate their wishes. Under the first head, the grand idea that occurs, is to ascertain, what is ufury? Our Author finds that only two definitions of this term can be given; one is, the taking a greater intereft than the law allows; this may be ftyled the political or legal definition. The other is, the taking a greater intereft than it is usual for men to give and take; which may be ftyled the moral one: and this, where the law has not interfered, is plainly enough the only one. It is plain,' adds he, that, in order for ufury to be prohibited by law, a pofitive defcription must have been found for it by law, fixing, or rather fuperfeding, the moral one. To fay then that ufury is a thing that ought to be prevented, is faying neither more nor lefs, than that the utmot rate of intereft which shall be taken ought to be fixed; and that fixation enforced by penalties, or fuch other means, if any, as may answer the purpose of preventing the breach of it. A law punishing ufury fuppofes, therefore, a law fixing the allowed legal rate of intereft: and the propriety of the penal law muft depend upon the propriety of the fimply prohibitive, or, if you please, declaratory one. One thing then is plain, that, antecedently to cuftom growing from convention, there can be no fuch thing as ufury; for what rate of intereft is there that can naturally be more proper than another? What natural fixed price can there be for the use of money more than for |