Ere we proceed in the inquiry where this fon of wisdom is to be found, it will be neceffary to confider, that, generally fpeaking, the fame caufes in human life produce like effects: that the fame conditions and circumstances form fimilar characters. For inftance-Riches and honours are generally accompanied with pride, difdain, arrogance and conceit.-I fay generally, because there are exceptions to this rule.-There are fome to whom these things do not prove curfes by their abuse, but bleffings, as they are made the means of bleffing others: but for the most part, we are juftified when we fay, that in fuch and fuch conditions and circumstances, men will fo act, and be fo affected.

• Where then shall the man of wisdom be found?

I. Not in the cell of the vifionary and reclufe.-Not that religion flies retirement-No!-here all its divine confolations are found, and its best comforts relifhed.-Nor does it difdain the world as if it were not made for enjoyment.-Let others feclude themselves from the world, and dream over all its joys, till they fancy all is delufion and unfubftantial appearance of good, and reject the various favours of heaven with a fullen difdain, and counterfeit fuperiority; the son of wisdom takes his portion of bleffing with a joyful heart, and an eafy gratitude: he does not caft fuch a reflection upon the defign of his benevolent Creator, as to fuppofe fnares to his virtue are concealed in every bleffing; or that this world will infallibly prevent him from practising thofe virtues, that will fit him for the enjoyments of the future ftate.-How can religion, that delights to take up its abode in the expanded breast of benevolence, find room for its reception in the contracted bofom of self-love? What are we to live for, and to ourselves alone?-Are the facred ties of humanity nothing?-Have our fellow-creatures no claim upon our example, no demand upon our virtues?—It is the part of cowardice to retire intirely from the world, for fear our virtue fhould be overcome.-Virtue is not virtue, unless it be tried. It is only the infubftantial fhadow of it, that is found within the walls of convents, and religious houses, as they are falfely called-bring forth virtue and religion to the light-they will bear the penetrating beam of heaven itfelf-they fear no discovery, for none can be made to their disadvantage.

Go thou pufillanimous wretch! hide thy dejected head in fome gloomy fequeftered cell, and fay the world is too broad a theatre, that the fpectators are too numerous before whom thou art, by the appointment of heaven, to perform thy allotted part -fay that it is ornamented with such pleasing scenes that virtue cannot refift its follicitations-keep all thy folitary virtues, if fuch there be, to thyfelf-deny mankind all thine aid--punish thy body, instead of fubduing the irregular affections of thy

foul; and fee if all this will fit. thee for the affembly of faints, the company of angels, the focial joys and friendship of happy fpirits, who unite in thefe folemn religious employments in heaven.-Let us quit the cell of the vifionary and reclufe, fince here the man of wisdom is not to be found: And,

II. Seek for him abroad in the world.

Perhaps we fhall fcarcely find him, where his example would be of the most fovereign advantage; I mean in the courts of princes, and palaces of kings.-Religion has feldom found an hearty welcome, or kind reception here.-Where is its introducer HUMILITY?-Where its attendants INNOCENCE, and SIMPLICITY -All here is pageantry and fhew.-Men are taken up with ambitious views; and their minds are diftracted by emulation and pride.--The bafeft defigns, the most contemptible hypocrify, poffefs their hearts, and cover over the moft fraudulent intentions.-This world is all that is earnestly defired, and therefore it is purfued at the expence of innocence, fidelity, honour, and integrity.-Men here engage in those vain amufements that unfit them for any exalted virtue.-Men who live upon the files of princes, have but little ambition to deferve the approbation of God.-Let us not feek for divine wifdom, where vice and folly range it at large, and in an air infectious to virtue, probity and honour.-'

The fubjects of Mr. Webb's fermons are,-Man and the providence of God.-The ftate of man in this world.-The Chriftian courfe.-No fecurity against greater, if we have yielded to lefs temptations.-Difinterested and univerfal charity. -Confcience.-The ftory of Naaman the leper.-The keeper of the prifon, converted by Paul and Silas.-Acquaintance with God. The character of Jefus as the Meffiah.-God manifefted in the flesh.-The propriety of the humble state in which the Meffiah appeared.-The hope and falvation of true Chriftians. Indifference in religion.-The importance and duty of public worship.- Zeal.-Our Lord's rebuke of his difciples James and John, for their unjuftifiable zeal.-Enquiry after wisdom.

A Letter to the Reverend Door Lowth, occafioned by his late* Letter to the Right Reverend Author of the Divine Legation of Mcfes. By the Author of Eflays on the Characteristics. 8vo. 1 s. Davis and Reymers.

HIS letter does not refer to the literary part of the controverfy between the Bifhop of Gloucester and Dr. Lowth; the Letter-Writer only endeavours to vindicate his own character from the injurious infinuations which, he tells us, Dr. Lowth

See Review for November 1765.

Lowth has clearly though indirectly thrown out against him, in his late Letter to the Author of the Divine Legation of Mofes.

Dr. Brown complains loudly of the injuftice done him in publickly reprefenting him, as a man ready to facrifice the interefts of truth to the opinions of a mafter, and is at great pains to fhew that he is not a fervile follower, or obfequious deputy, of the Bishop of Gloucefter. He lays before his Readers the chief paffages in his writings, on which fuch accufations can poffibly be founded, together with thofe in Dr. Lowth's letter, wherein he imagines he is pointed out as one of the honourable tribe of the Bishop's beadles and footmen, and then labours to vindicate himself from fuch groundlefs imputations. He acknowleges that he has expreffed himself warmly in regard to the Bishop's character in feveral parts of his Writings, and tells us that his expreffions flowed from his heart, and were dictated by friendship and gratitude. Dr. Warburton's generous zeal, he fays, affifted in introducing him to the world, and the only return of gratitude he was capable of making, was to vindicate his [Dr. W.'s] fame from the fcurrilous infults of his enemies, by all the warmth of public and fincere approbation that he could beftow. Nor had he the leaft fufpicion, at that time, he fays, that this zeal (even fuppofing it to have arifen into an ill-judged prodigality of praife) could poffibly be conftrued by honest men, into any thing else than the overflowings of gratitude and friendShip.

Confcious that he has ftrong prejudices to contend with, which he thinks it incumbent on him to remove, the Doctor proceeds to give, what he calls the most ample and unanfwerable teftimony, that he is neither beadle, bravo, nor minister to any Mock-Monarch in literature upon earth. I will now produce, fays he, a variety of inconteftible vouchers; which will demonftrate, that while I was thus publicly vindicating the injured character of my friend, I was in fact difputing his particular opinions; and firmly refusing my affent, and declaring my right to diffent, in the most unreferved manner.

The first of thefe evidences I fhall draw from my own writings already published: and particularly from the Essays on the Characteristics. On the fubject of the first effay, that" on ridicule confidered as a test of truth," Dr. Warburton had publifhed his thoughts, long before mine were written. Yet, whoever fhall take the trouble of comparing my thoughts with His, will find them not only often different, but fometimes incompatible. Again, on the fubject of moral obligation, whoever shall compare our fentiments, will find mine not only written in a train of thought entirely independent of His, but in fome material points diametrically oppofite. And thus, fo far have I been from

from referring all mankind to the Divine Legation," as to an infallible oracle, for the refolution of every queftion in literature;" that I have written and published my fentiments in full and clear contradiction to fome of its principles.

Let me add, that Dr. Warburton well knew, from the time of the first publication of these Essays, that I had thus publicly diffented from him in opinion: nor did this known oppofition of fentiment ever occasion any breach of friendship be

tween us.

The next vouchers I fhall produce, are my own letters, written feveral years ago to fome of my friends, on fubjects of literature: did I think myself privileged to publish without leave, the letters of my correfpondents, written to me on these occafions in confidence of fecrefy, I could give additional proofs of the wrong you have done me: and fuch proofs, as would be far from difhonouring either my friends or Me. There are certain facts referred to even in these my own letters, relative to other fubjects, which I do not think myfelf at liberty to divulge and fhall therefore only publifh, what can effentially affect the prefent point in queftion. Nor fhould I have taken even this step, had not the publication of these paragraphs been of the laft confequence to the full vindication of my moral character: which I regard as an extreme neceffity, equal to That, when life or liberty are at flake.

The firft of thefe evidences is the fubftance of a letter containing some general thoughts on what I judged to be the true medium, in departing or not departing PUBLICLY from the opinions of a friend, in literary refearches. It was communicated by me to feveral of my friends, in the year 1759. It runs thus.

Dear Sir,

"Horkefly (in Effex) O&tober 30, 1759.

"There is a kind of petulance, founded in felfifh vanity, which confifts in picking quarrels, fearching out fmall and incidental mistakes, either in reafoning, philology, or facts. I know of nothing more contemptible than this, in the whole tour of literary folly, which (between friends) is a very large one. This filly and ungenerous conduct we faw an inftance of in a certain ** with respect to one of our Friends. The

,

circumstances of the fact were fomewhat notorious in that inftance: but the thing itfelf is common; and makes the chief employment of that dirty modern tribe, who call themfelves critics. Of this folly, if I know myself aright, I am incapable.

"But with regard to the investigation of truth in a more inlarged fenfe; here, I confefs, I fee no room for favour or friend

hip.

" I have

"I have fo entirely gained this habit of thought; that, I hope, this principle will direct me in all my inquiries. And though I am but a mean workman in the Temple of truth, I will at least be an honeft one. My own errors I will always be glad not only to acknowlege, but proclaim: and upon a like principle, though I may not ftudiously proclaim the errors of a friend, yet I certainly will neither palliate nor hide them.

"In fhort, it is making an ungenerous ufe of any degree of fuperiority which men may be poffeffed of, if they become the minifters to each other's vanity, inftead of being the im-. partial minifters of truth. When once they are arrived at this point, I think the mind must be fhaken from the foundations of all true integrity. For myfelf, I fhould think I deferved to be ftruck blind from heaven, not only in body but in foul too, fhould I make fo ungrateful an use of that portion of light which God has lent me.

"As I think there is great immorality and guilt in any palliation of error on account of friendship; fo, on the other part, I can fee no fhadow of reafon against a free difcuffion of any queftion, among fons, fathers, friends, or brothers. If Iam wrong, my friends are beft able to fet me right: If my friend is wrong, the trueft friendship I can fhew him is, to let him fee his error.

I am, &c. J. B."

The Doctor goes on to produce other letters and fcraps of letters in order to fhew the independence of his mind, and concludes with declaring, in the triumphant language of felf-importance, that he fhould long ago have fet his foot upon the neck of flander, had she not skulked among the garrets of GrubStreet.

Philofophical Tranfactions, Vol. LIV. Continued *.

Papers, MEDICAL and ANATOMICAL.

Art. 2. The Sequel of the Cafe of Mr. Butler of Mofcow, printed in the Philofophical Tranfactions, Vol. L. p. 19. Communicated by Mr. Henry Baker, F. R. S.

THE

HE cafe of Mr. Butler was briefly this: Soon after preparing a mixture of verdegris, falfe gold-leaf, with aquafortis, he was fuddenly feized with a burning pain, first in one finger, then in his whole hand; afterwards in the other hand, legs, toes, fhoulders, back, belly, and, in short, in every part of his body by turns, together with many extraordinary symptoms,

See Review for laft Month.