of Chichester deferves the thanks of the Clergy for this excellent Performance. Though I am not a Clergyman, I give him my humble thanks for it.

ARTICLE III.

THOUGHTS on FRIENDSHIP. By way of Effay, for the use and improvement of the LADIES. By a Well-wisher to her Sex. London. Printed for J. Roberts, near the Oxford-Arms in WarwickLane, 1725. in 8°. pagg. 56.

T

HE Lady, who is the Author of this Book, has a great deal of fenfe, and fhows herfelf to be a perfon of great virtue. Her advices are very rational, and her reflexions very folid. She undertakes to fhow that Women are capable of true Friendship, as well as Men. She mentions the qualities abfolutely neceffary for friendfhip. The first is a ftrict Virtue, by which she means a good difpofition of the will, determined to do whatever a well informed understanding fhall dictate to be just and reasonable. That Lady is very much in the right to lay down virtue as the first foundation for friendship. There can be no true friendship between two perfons without a mutual esteem; and there can be no true efteem, if honefty is wanting.

Befides

Befides virtue, the Author fhows that Friendfhip requires good Senfe, Fidelity in relation to Secrets and Promises, and a generous, grateful, fweet temper. All this is undeniable." And

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here (fays our ingenious Author) I cannot "forbear asking thofe, who would debar our "Sex of the pleasures and advantages of friendfhip: Which of thefe qualifications Women must "neceffarily want? But if they may all be found "in a female Soul; then we cannot with any justice be excluded from this application of them, where concurrent circumftances make "it practicable. And pray, where is the ab"furdity of supposing a Woman endued with "moral and religious virtue, with good fenfe, "veracity, gratitude and generofity?" The Readers will fee all this enlarged upon with great clearness and strength of reason.

I fhall conclude with this advice of the Author, as a further Specimen of her performance. "I earnestly intreat every Woman to stand up

on her guard with the utmost watchfulness, "when the meets with any extraordinary pro"teftations of affection and fidelity. For, ge

nerally none are fo defective of either, as "thofe who profefs it moft. Efpecially, if the "be a young Lady of fortune, fhe cannot be 66 too cautious in this affair; for then fhe is lia❝ble to ten thousand misfortunes of this kind, "which perfons in a lower ftation are in no "danger of. And the younger she is, the more "likely is the to be attacked by, and the less "able to discover the fallacy of fuch pretences, "There are never wanting numbers of fawning "Sycophants, who will be always endeavouring "to introduce themselves into her good opinion, cc by flattering her vices, and feeding her vani"ty, &c. ARTI

ARTICLE IV.

AN hiftorical and critical ACCOUNT of the Life and Writings of WILLIAM CHILLINGWORTH, Chancellor of the Church of Sarum. London. Printed for T. Woodward at the Half Moon in Fleetfreet, and F. Peele at Locke's Head in Pater-nofter Row. 1725. in 8°. pagg• 372, befides the Index.

MR

R. CHILLINGWORTH is one of the moft famous Divines of the Church of England; and therefore his Life, written by Mr. Des Maizeaux, will doubtlefs be very acceptable to the Public.

That Divine was born at Oxford of a Citizen of that City in October 1602. After he had gone through his fchool-learning there, he became Scholar of Trinity-College in 1618, and was admitted Mafter of Arts in 1623, and Fellow of that College in 1628. Mr. Chillingworth did not confine his ftudies to Divinity. He applied himself, with good fuccefs to Mathematics, and was accounted a good Poet, two things that feldom meet together.

The ftudies and converfation of the Univertity-Scholars in his time turned chiefly upon the

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controverfies between the Church of England and the Church of Rome. The occafion of it was this. Towards the latter end of the reign of King James I, the Romish Priefts were allowed an uncommon liberty in England; which was continued in the reign of King Charles I, upon account of his marriage with a Princefs of France. Several of them lived at Oxford, or near it, and made frequent attempts upon the young Scholars; whereby fome were deluded to the Romish Religion, and afterwards conveyed to the English Seminaries beyond Sea. There was among thofe Miffionaries a famous Jefuit, who went by the name of John Fisher, and was very bufy in making Converts. He was then much converfant in Oxford, and attacked fuch young Students as diftinguished themselves by their parts. Mr. Chillingworth being accounted a very ingenious man, Fisher became acquainted with him. Their converfation turned upon controverfy, but more particularly upon the neceffity of an infallible living Judge in matters of Faith. Mr. Chillingworth found himself unable to answer the arguments of the Jefuit: nor could he be fatisfied with the folutions, that were given him by the learned Divines to whom he proposed thofe arguments. And being, among other things, convinced of the neceffity of an infallible living Judge of Controverfies; he was eafily brought to believe, that this infallible Judge vas in the Church of Rome, and that therefore the Church of Rome must be the true Church, and the only Church in which men could be faved. Whereupon he forfook the communion of the Church of England, and embraced the Rornish Religion.

In order to secure his conqueft, Fisher per fuaded Mr. Chillingworth to go over to the College of the Jefuits at Douay, and to publish the Motives or Reasons of his converfion.

When Dr. Laud, then Bishop of London, heard that Mr. Chillingworth was gone over to the Church of Rome, and had retired to Douay, he was extremely concerned at it. However, as he knew him to be a fincere lover of truth, he was not altogether without hopes of reclaiming him. He therefore writ to him: and Mr. Chillingworth having expreffed a great deal of moderation, candor and impartiality in his anfwer, that Prelate continued to keep correfpondence with him, and urged him with several arguments against the doctrines and practices of the Church of Rome.

This fet Mr. Chillingworth upon a new inquiry, which had the defired effect. The arguments by which he had been convinced, began now to appear to him in another light. But the place where he was, not being fuitable to the ftate of a free impartial Inquirer, he refolved to come back into England, and left Douay in the year 1631, after a short stay there.

Archbishop Laud, in his Speech before the Lords at his trial appealed to the Letters that paffed between him and Mr. Chillingworth, in order to vindicate himfelf from the charge of Popery.

Mr. Chillingworth, upon his return into England, was received with great kindness and affection by Bishop Laud, who approved his defign of retiring to Oxford in order to complete the work he was upon, a free inquiry into Religion. He purfued his inquiries with all the care and industry imaginable. At last, the Pro

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