difquifitions, mankind would have wanted fome inducement to have quickened their enquiries, and the greater part of the world would have refted content in mental indolence, and ignorance, its infeparable companion. As therefore the Creator is a being, not only of infinite power and wisdom, but also of infinite goodnefs, he has been pleased so to contrive the conftitution and frame of humanity, that we should want no other prompter to enquire after and pursue the rule of right, but only our own felf-love, that univerfal principle of action. For he has fo intimately connected, fo infeparably interwoven, the laws of eternal justice with the happiness of each individual, that the latter cannot be obtained but by obferving the former; and, if the former be punctually obeyed, it cannot but induce the latter. In confequence of which mutual connexion of juftice and human felicity, he has not perplexed the law of nature with a multitude of abstracted Tules and precepts, referring merely to the fitnefs or unfitness of things, as fome have vainly furmised; but has graciously reduced the rule of obedience to this one paternal precept, that man fhould purfue his own happiness." This is the foundation of what we call ethics, or natural law. For the feveral articles into which it is branched in our fyftems, amount to no more than demonftrating, that this or that action tends to man's real happiness, and therefore very juftly concluding that the performance of it is a part of the law of nature; or, on the other hand, that this or that action is deftructive of man's real happiness, and therefore that the law of nature forbids it.'

In this paragraph, the principles of Shaftesbury, in his inquiry concerning virtue, are adopted and enforced with great energy and concifenefs and our Author proceeds to obferve, that this law of nature being coeval with mankind, and dictated by God himself, is of courfe fuperior in obligation to any other. It is binding over all the globe, in all countries, and at all times: no human laws are of any validity, if contrary to this; and fuch of them as are valid, derive all their force and all their authority, mediately or immediately, from this original.'

The generous warmth with which this liberal Writer here fpeaks of the law of nature is highly to be applauded; but when he fays that no human laws are of any validity, if contrary to this,' he must be fuppofed to mean that they are not morally va lid for we know too well that they are politically valid; and we may be bold to add, that fome of our laws of property, many of our criminal laws, are contrary to this precept of the law of nature, that we should render to every one his due.'

[To be continued.]

and

Animadverfions

Animadverfions on Mr. Phillips's Hiftory of the Life of Cardinal Pole. By Timothy Neve, D. D. Rector of Middleton-Stoney, Oxfordshire. 8vo. 6s. Oxford printed, and fold by

Robfon in London.

WE entirely agree, with the learned Dr. Jortin*, that al

though the life of Pole, by Mr. Phillips, is a performance which feems not to forebode any evil at all to our church and state; yet it deferves to be examined and confuted. Such fort of writings are generally attended with good effects; they have given occafion, as Dr. J. farther remarks, to excellent anfwers, and furnished materials for the Stillingfleets, the Tillotsons, &c.' to whom we may add the Ridleys and the Neves.

The notorious fophiftry and fallaciousness of the late hiftory of Reginald Pole, however, feems to have rendered Dr. N. thoroughly fenfible, that fome apology was neceflary, for his having condescended to take the pains of writing fo elaborate a refutation of it. The performance, indeed, fays he, hath nothing in it that may alarm us, or give us apprehenfions of its doing mischief; but as every thing of that nature is looked upon as a kind of defiance, and, if not particularly considered, as a triumph too, the author of the following fheets has ventured to accept the challenge.' Pref.

Dr. Neve appears to have been animated to take up the gauntlet thrown out by this champion of Rome, from a reflection which hath occurred to many others, fince the publication of Pole's life; and which our Author hath thus very justly expreffed: The reftlefs emiffaries of the fee of Rome, not content with the liberty of confcience indulged them, are conti nually reviving the controverfy between their church and ours, and making encroachments upon us. Among the many attacks to which their eagerness. hath prompted them, and which of late bath been very open and indecent, there is no one, continues the Doctor, in which the exploded errors of popery are worked up in a more artful and infidious manner, than the Hiftory of the Life of Cardinal Pole; which is a laboured, plaufible infult, both upon the civil and ecclefiaftical liberties of this country.'

In his remarks on Phillips's book, communicated to Dr. N. and printed at the end of these Animadverfions:-in which remarks,, Dr. J. obferves, that much fuch a work as Phillips's, in fome refpects, was The Life of Wolfey, written at a critical time, by our Fiddes, a Proteflantpapift (the expreffion is as proper at least as Roman-catholic) to prepare us for popery and the pretender: a book which had no other effect, than to expofe the author and his patrons.'

One great point, with our learned Animadverter, was, to vindicate the doctrine and character of our principal Reformers, from the falfe representation, and injurious reflections of Mr. Phillips; and in this attempt we believe he hath fucceeded, to the fatisfaction of every impartial reader: although we are far from thinking the private virtues or failings of any leading men, will weigh fo much, with the rational enquirer after the truth of the principles they publickly efpoufed, as they commonly do, in the estimation of their more zealous and more implicit followers. Nor ought the credit of the reformation itself to be at all refted on the private lives, the natural tempers, or prevailing peculiarities of those mere men, to whom, under God, we are indebted for that great and happy work. The glorious edifice which they reared, ftands upon a much furer foundation. It hath truth for its bafis, with the facred feriptures on the one hand, and right reafon on the other; its fafe and never-failing fupports!

Dr. Neve is not one of thofe lively and declamatory writers, whofe flourishes often ferve to captivate the fancy of unwary readers, and miflead their judgment. If his ftyle is not perfectly elegant, it is plain, manly, and fuited to the precifion of critical enquiry, and clofe examination. Confcious that his production may be thought fomewhat dry, by the admirers of ornament in writing; and that probably fome inaccuracies of Janguage may have flipped from his pen, through his greater attention to matter than to words; he declares, by way of apology, that he hath confidered himself as concerned only, with hiftorical evidence;' and' that he thought matter of fact, when plainly and faithfully related, would be more acceptable to those readers, whom alone it is his defire to pleafe, than the gaudy decorations of affected eloquence: adding, that he fhall think his end fufficiently answered, if the pains he hath taken prove any ways inftrumental in promoting that facred cause which it is his ambition to ferve.'

But it is not merely the credit of Mr. P.'s work, in point of veracity and honefty of reprefentation, that is here attacked; the reputation of that author, as a writer, is alfo ftruck at, by this his learned and diligent antagonist: who hath endeavoured to fhew, that the celebrated hiftory of Reginald Pole, is little more than a piece of patch-work plagiarifm, a collection from other writers, for the moft part unacknowledged by the fly pilferer. • There are not many notes, fays Dr. N. and but few pages, for which he is not indebted to them: their references are taken, but their names induftriously concealed. Thus, for inftance, Quirini's preliminary difcourfes to every volume of his edition of Pole's Letters, are only once openly referred to, though they furnished Mr. Phillips with the greateft part of his mate

rials-This detection is an ugly circumstance; and we do not fee how Mr. P. will be able to retrieve his literary character, in this refpect.

But although our Author is keen in his ftrictures on the hiftorian, he is equally candid in his conceffions, in favour of the hero, whom Mr. Phillips hath fo fondly celebrated. We fhall give fome part of what he hath faid, in his general review of Pole's character, at the conclufion of these animadverfions; which may ferve as a fpecimen of our Author's manner, and of the temper in which he usually expreffes himself.

Dr. Neve allows, that there is no part of Cardinal Pole's character more amiable than when we view him in his retire ments, and in the focial intercourfes with private friends: here he appeared to great advantage, and difplayed all the endearing good qualities of the polite fcholar, the chearful companion, and the fincere friend. His fame would have been handed down to pofterity with undiminished luftre, if he had never engaged in the turbulent, active fcenes of life; for which he either was not defigned by nature, or had rendered himself unfit by indulging an indolent and timid difpofition. His rank and ftation indeed frequently forced him upon public employments, in which he feldom anfwered the high opinion conceived of him, At the two councils of Trent, where he prefided as one of the pope's legates, nothing memorable or material is recorded of him; no traces are to be found of his vigour and activity. He left the fecond council, pleading his ill ftate of health, before any of the most interefting articles were debated, to the great, regret of his colleagues, who were difpleafed at his departure That we are not mistaken in thus charging Cardinal Pole with indolence and inactivity; let us confider what his behaviour was in England, when invefted with his legantine powers. He bewailed indeed the fins of the nation, he reunited it to the papal church, and abfolved it from the grievous crime of herefy this he could not help doing himself; but he did nothing further belonging to his spiritual jurisdiction; he neither ordained, non confecrated; nor did he vifit, even his own small diocefe, or his peculiars; but performed all these branches of his duty by commiffion. His pen, however, was not idle; he was perpen tually employed in writing volumes of canons, articles, injunctions, and letters. He could be active enough upon paper and here all his vigour spent itself.'.

He goes on to animadvert, on what the Cardinal's panegyrifthas faid with regard to his remarkable mildness, and his lenient arts, to thofe who diffented from the doctrine of his church; but our Author, on the contrary, quotes fuch in ftances of frantic zeal, and infolent, inhuman perfecutions of heretics, as are by no means confiftent with the gentle idea

given of him, in Mr. Phillips's encomium on his character. But, adds our Author, a veil is thrown upon these actions of Pole which I have been relating, in the panegyrical narration before us: and others of the fame tendency are flurred over with this apology, that they were the refult of his deferente to the laws and conftitutions of his country, which did not allow him to firain the tender firings of government, nor exert an undue authority on any pretext whatever (p. 132). Whereas Pole, by the general powers given him for reconciling the nation to the church of Rome, was invested with a plenitude of authority over temporal, as well as ecclefiaftical courts: he had it therefore in his power to be as mild and merciful as he pleased. But he had fo terrible a notion of herefy, that he seemed to look upon it as an unpardonable crime: it was this prevailing bias, which led him to fome illnatured and harsh feverities against the poor fufferers for religion, at the time of their execution; and to fome uncharitable reflections upon their fortitude under it. Thus he writes to a nameless bishop; "that fome of the heretics did as much harm to the people by their deaths as by their lives: a preacher therefore, he fays, fhould be provided against the time of their fufferings, who fhould declare the occafion of their death, their wicked life and obftinacy, and the pains taken to bring them to repentance... that by these means an act of compaffion may to the last be offered to the heretics, and the people rescued from the danger of that offence, they fo eafily fall into, when, without a preacher to declare this, they only fee the conftancy of a wretched perfon in fuffering torment, and do not perceive, under this falfe appearance of piety and refolution, the power and cunning of the devil." Thus he alfo writes to King Philip; and informs him, that Father Soto had been with the two condemned heretics at Oxford, (Ridley and Latimer he means) one of whom would not fo much as fpeak to him; that with the other he had fome converfation, but to no effect: by which, faith the mild and Christian Pole, it is manifeft that no one can fave those whom God hath rejected, and therefore (he adds,) they fay the people beheld their execution with pleasure, when they understood that nothing was omitted which could contribute to their falvation.'

The Doctor next proceeds to confider the boasted patrist Spirit of this cardinal; and he fhews that Pole had very little if any title to the character of a true lover of his country. Nevertheless, though a juft regard to the truth of hiftory has confrained him to cenfure the actions of Pole,' yet our Author ap-. pears to be no way blind to his real merits. The excellency of his morals, fays Dr. N. the natural goodnefs of his heart, and the piety of his difpofition, are chearfully confefled; his Behaviour in his last moments fhewed, that his religion, though ill-directed,