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lofes its reward. The tops.-The little wanderer.--The cock chaffer. The glass bottle.-The journal. The promise, &c. &c.

It appears to us that this lady has profecuted her intention in a very agreeable manner: the felection is judiciously made, fo as to be likely to intereft the imaginations of children, and place the virtues and faults incident to their time of life, in a perfpicuous point of view.' The accounts are generally, we are affured, founded on fact, and relate circumstances which fell under Mrs. Wakefield's own obfervations; indeed, this fmall publication may prove both pleafing and useful, not only in the nursery but in the parlour: our late worthy friend, Mr. John Newbery, who very fuccefsfully cultivated the earlier branches of education, would have been delighted with it.

NATURAL HISTORY.

Art 60. Difcourfe on the Emigration of British Birds, &c. &c. &c. By a Naturalift. 8vo. pp. 64. 25. Walker. 1795If arrogant and dogmatical affertions be at any time peculiarly offenfive, it is when the fubject demands a calm, difpafiionate inquiry into fads. The migration of birds is a topic of which the investigation will be purfued with far more fuccefls by accurate inquiries into nature, than by unmeaning and idle abuse of those who have employed their abilities in fimilar researches.

The anonymous author of the pamphlet before us divides his work into four fections. I. Of the fummer birds of paffage; 11. Of the winter birds of paffage; III. On the irregular emigrants; IV. Reflections on the fubject. The greater part of the first fection is taken up with the emigration of the fwallow tribe; in this, the opinion of Pennant, White, and many others of our best naturalifts, that the later hatches pafs the winter in a torpid ftate," is flatly denied, and ftigmatifed with the title of a fuperftitious error;' though this author affirms at the fame time that he himself has seen Martins as late as the third of December: but what he calls his proof of the impoffibility of fwallows lying torpid during the winter is derived from his own notion that animals, which undergo a temporary torpidity, have fomething in their make different from others to enable them to remain fo long without fuftenance. Here he is evidently in an error, for the bear, marmot, and all the warm blooded quadrupeds that retire to winter-quarters, are not at all different in their internal ftructure from those which remain expofed to the feverity of winter.

Another of Mr. Pennant's opinions, concerning the partial migration of cuckoos, is controverted; though in the very next fentence the writer allows that cuckoos have been feen in the winter, which is in fact a confirmation of Mr. P.'s fuppofition.

A farther proof of the inattention of this author is his placing the fork among the birds which spend the fummer in this country. The fork was never known to vifit England; and the crane, which he tells as is found in Lincolnshire and many other parts of England, has long quitted this country.

if there were any neceflity, it would be eafy to multiply examples. of the arrogance of this pfeudo-naturalift: but it would only be wafting the time of our readers, and exciting the " irafcible paffion"

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of the writer. We fhall therefore conclude with quoting part of his last paragraph: Critics will cenfure and Zoilufes condemn; but I regard neither the one or the other. Fearless of their malic:

and refentment, carelefs and inattentive to their obfervations, unaffected with the thowers of arrows that they dart around me, I shall stand unmoved, unshaken, undaunted, and look down on them and their remarks with contempt and difdain.'-In what a happy state of improvement is the mind of fuch a writer !

THEOLOGY, &c.

Art. 61. A general and connected View of the Prophecies relating to the Times of the Gentiles, delivered by our bleffed Saviour, the Prophet Daniel, and the Apostle Paul and John: with a brief Account of their Accomplishment, fupported by the most unexceptionable Teftimony of Hiftory. By the Rev. E. W. Whitaker, Rector of St. Mildred's and All Saints, Canterbury. 12mo. PP. 283.

3s. fewed. Rivingtons. 1795.

To make an antagonist refute himself is one of the most ingenious arts of controverfy. This kind of ingenuity the author of the tract now before us has at least attempted to exercife with respect to Mr. Gibbon. In order to repel the indirect but artful attack made on Christianity by this hiftorian, in the carly part of his celebrated work on the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Mr. E. W. Whitaker brings forwards a series of historical facts, chiefly collected from Mr. Gibbon's hiftory, and compares them with the predictions of the fcripture. He finds a wonderful analogy between the facts related by this hiftorian, and the predictions of revelation; and it is the bufinefs of this work to compare the latter with the former, in a connected series,

thus, on the teftimony of Mr. Gibbon, to establish the truth of revelation. The applications of the prophecies are in fome particulars different from thofe of Mede, Newton, and former interpreters : but the author's explanations are fupported with ingenuity; and, though we do not expect that they will produce an uniformity of opinion concerning the meaning of these obfcure parts of fcripture, they are certainly entitled to an attentive confideration. The nature of the work precludes particular analyfis; and we muft content ourselves with recommending it, in general terms, to thofe who may be difpofed to treat the prophecies of fcripture with either ridicule or neglect. Art. 62. The Chriftian's Views and Reflections during his laft Illness: with his Anticipations of the glorious Inheritance and Society of the heavenly World. To which are annexed two Sermons on particular Occafions. By the late Rev. Simon Reader. Publifhed from the Author's Manufcript by Benjamin Cracknell, A. M. pp. 301. 2s. 6d. Boards. Dilly. 1794.

12mo.

If it be the character of religious enthufiafm to give up the reins, without controul, to paffion and fancy, we may be juftified in pronouncing this an enthufiaftic performance. The author, who appears to have placed the perfection of religion in indulging the rhapfodical flights of a heated imagination, after having put into the mouth of the dying Chriftian his last counfels, prayers, and foliloquies, conducts him into the heavenly regions, where he is welcomed by angels

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and departed fpirits, and-is prefented before God by his Saviour. By way of contraft, is next exhibited a finner configned by the Saviour to the furies, to be lashed with unremitting and endless tortures. To this fucceed the conference of the bleffed on redeeming love; the grand chorus of heaven; the glorified faint, accompanied by angels returning to earth to attend his own funeral, and to visit the death-bed of others; his return to heaven, and his tour through the works of God accompanied by Abdiel and Newton.-We are giddy with attending this good man in his rapid flights, and are glad to return to terra firma. Seriously, we can fee no valuable end which can be anfwered by fanciful publications of this kind; and we are of opinion that good Chriftians are much better employed in ftudying and practifing their duty in this life, than in pursuing vifionary reveries concerning the life to come.

Art 63. Pratical Sermons on felect Pallages of Scripture. By the Rev. Thomas Rutledge, A. M 8vo. pp. 54. Robin fons.

1794.

Thefe fermons are on the following fubjects: religion, a ferious and important concern; delight in the law of God; appearance of evil to be avoided; importance and neceflity of good works; feifexamination; ftedfaftness and perfeverance; bleffednefs of the merciful; character and end of the upright; fleeping finners called to awake; unlawful oaths; fwearing and profaning the name of God; obfervance of the Sabbath, two fermons; fuitable behaviour under afflictions; inconceivable happiness of the future ftate, &c.

In thefe difcourfes we meet with many fenfible and instructive re. marks, and perfuafive arguments to a religious and righteous conduct. They are chiefly declamatory, and fuch may, perhaps, be better adapted to the benefit of a general audience than more ftudied or more accurate compofitions; yet though the former fhould prove more acceptable in the delivery to a popular affembly, they not unfrequently fail of anfwering the expectation when they come under private perufal. This writer, though calviniflical in fentiment, introduces little that may be deemed of a difputable kind. He appears in earnest for practical religion. His manner has occafionally reminded us of fome French preachers, and in other inftances of old English divines.

Were we to point out difcourfes which appear to us to excel in this volume, we should fix on thofe entitled the character of the merciful; oaths and profane fwearing; obfervance of the Sabbath; behaviour under and improvement of afflictions; neceffity of good works; alfo, a fermon which is called, a ferious and interefting enquiry, having for a text this question, How old art thou ?-Indeed, all difcourfes are of fome value which keep conftantly in view, as a primary object, practical truth, virtue, and righteoufnefs. Our author's ftyle is plain, but lively, fometimes intermixed with images and fimiles, and a few apt quotations in one part we fee introduced the interefting tale of Polycrates, prince of Samos: but we must object to a paffage in the fune ral fermon for the Rev. John Patrick, his predeceffor. In drawing the character, valuable in other refpects, and we doubt not juft, the libera

• Voyage de Jeune Anacharfis en Grece, Tom. vi. p. 302.

lity of his mind is mentioned, and, we are almoft ready to fay, completely overthrown, when, fpeaking of perfons who differed widely from him on the doctrine of the Trinity, it is added, He held their principles in abhorrence: with fuch he would hold no communion or fellowship; nor once bid them God speed.'

We obferve fome Scotticifms in this work, with here and there an inaccuracy of phrafe or peculiarity of expreffion: but these are not very frequent.

Art. 64. A plain and eafy Introduction to the Principles of Natural and Revealed Religion; with a comprehenfive View of the Reafonablenefs and Certainty of the Chriftian Difpenfation. Intended for young Students in particular; and exhibiting much of the Subftance of Dr. Jenkin's learned Work, long out of Print, on the fame Subject. By a Clergyman of the Church of England. Two Vols. 12mo. 65. Boards. Rivingtons. 1795:

Republications of the fubftance of valuable treatifes on important fubjects, which are neglected only becaufe they are old, may in many cafes be very useful. Among the numerous and able defenders of Christianity who were called forth by the public appearance of fe veral Deifical writers at the beginning of the prefent century, Dr. Jenkin's was a name of fome celebrity. His treatife," on the Truth and Certainty of the Chriftian Religion," is, at the prefent time, here very judiciously revived with improvements. The work, though not voluminous, takes a wide compaís, and affords a comprehenfive view of the evidences both of natural and revealed religion. The author's, or editor's, ftatement of facts and arguments is not, however, fufficiently fupported by citations of original authorities, to render the publication, with respect to candidates for holy orders, any thing more than an introductory manual.

Art. 65. A Liturgy, containing Forms of Devotion for each Sunday in the Month, with an Office for Baptism, &c. 1200. pp. 143. 29. Boards. Baldwin.

Formidable as the idea of innovation is to many who are chained down by bigotry, or by intereft, to the maintenance of old forms, yet in an age of increafing knowlege the probability always is, that innovation will be improvement. This is particularly the cafe with respect to the exifting exercifes of religion; in which, notwithftanding the reformation, an intelligent and liberal mind must still fee many remains of antient fuperftition and fanaticifin. Among the veftiges of the latter, we shall not perhaps hazard too bold a pofition, if we venture to place the practice of extemporaneous prayer in public worship: a practice which appears to have had its origin in an enthufiaftic notion of immediate infpiration, and which has always been at tended with obvious defects and inconveniences. The Diffenters are beginning to perceive the imperfections of their antient method of conducting public devotional exercifes, and have in feveral places exchanged the folitary recital, whether extempore or memoriter, of one long and often tedious prayer, for the more animated and interefting focial form of a liturgy with refponfes. The prefent publication is a laudable, and on the whole not unfuccefsful, attempt of this kind. In

ten

ten distinct services, the fubjects of devotion are perhaps as much di verfified as may reasonably be defired. The editor has very properly made a free ufe of the language of the fcriptures, of the book of Common Prayer, and of preceding liturgies. He has also added much new matter, which is drawn up with a devotional fpirit. Con cerning the style of this liturgy, we muft, however, remark, that it is by no means uniformly fimple and liturgic. The admirable model of this kind of writing in the book of Common Prayer might, with great advantage, have been more clofely imitated. The long continued and harmonious periods of the antient prayers in our liturgy have more dignity and fublimity, and are therefore better adapted to devotion, than the fhort, detached, and often ill conftructed fentences in which fome of the prayers in this liturgy are written. We must add too, that, though we are glad to find that the adoption of the liturgic mode is not confined to the Socinian fect of Diffenters, we are of opinion that the editor of this liturgy has unneceffarily narrowed its ufefulness, by the introduction of a creed, and of hymns of praife and thankfgiving to Jefus Christ.

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Art. 66. Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled "The Age of Reason, being an Investigation of true and fabulous Theology; by Thomas Paine, Author of the Rights of Man. By which Remarks it may appear, that to adopt Mr. Paine's Notions of Divine Revelation would be to lofe Sight of Morality, of Humanity, and of the Theology that is true:" contrary to his profeffed Intention. With an Appendix. By a Proteftant Lay Dillenter. 8vo. pp. 117. Byrne, Dublin. 1795.

Reprobating the opinion that "the Age of Reafon" should be treated only with filent contempt, lamenting that it has not rouzed fome of the most able and refpectable divines of the church to a defence of Chriflianity and of revealed religion in general, and fearing left a Will with the Wisp fhould be mistaken for the torch of truth, this well-meaning layman takes up his pen, and offers to the public fome pertinent remarks on the deifical work of Mr. Paine. He boldly combats Mr. P.'s grand pofition, that the creation is the only word of God, and appeals to all history in proof of the infufficiency of the book of nature completely to inftruct in the provinces of religion and morality. After having taken notice of the ignorance and grofs fupidity in which mankind have been generally plunged with refpect to theology, in fpite of Mr. P.'s univerfal book always and every where open, he argues for the neceflity of what we call revelation, the poffibility of which Mr. P. is forced to own. We do not wish to damp the zeal of this writer in the good caufe in which he has embarked, by any ftrictures that may operate as a difcouragement; and we hope that no effect of this kind will arife from our hinting to him that we think him too diffufe, and that he ought not to quote fcripture, as he fometimes does, in proof of the divinity of feripture, when he is ma. naging an argument againft infidelity.

Art. 67. An Exportion of the Trinity with a further Elucidation of the Twelfth Chapter of Daniel, one Letter to the King, and two

The pretatory addrefs is figned B. Carpenter.

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