ourfelves from that event; which he reduces to three, viz. 1. "A partial reduction of public expence ;" 2. "The diminution of infurance and other war charges on our trade;" and 3. "If a fatisfactory treaty of commerce be concluded, a more free communication with the Continent." Thefe being, in his opinion, the only advantages likely to be derived from a peace, and fuch being (as he too juftly defcribes) the power and difpofition of the with whom we are negotiating, "" a very numerous part of the nation," he obferves; "are difpofed to adjourn the queftion of peace until a more favourable combination of circumstances, when we may reap undisturbed the bleffings of tranquility." He differs, however, from this opinion, on the ground, that "our continuance at war will not effect fo defirable a change.” “War,” he fays, "will keep us fecure, but offers no profpect of producing an alteration in the ftate of France."

enemy

Before this article can appear in print the important question of peace or war?" will, perhaps, be decided. We will not therefore difcufs the validity of the above opinion; which, right or wrong, cannot be influenced by party motives. Peace, he deems, upon the whole, defirable, provided it can be obtained upon fuch terms as we have a right to expect. He denies, however, the propriety of that bafis of negotiation which Mr. Fox is faid to have laid down (viz..the placing ourfelves in our enemy's fituation, and offering fuch terms as we should in that cafe require), and he lays down certain terms which, for our fafety and that of Europe, ought to be firmly infifted upon. For the reafon above ftated, we will not repeat, much lefs offer an opinion upon these fuggeftions; but shall merely observe, that fome further important changes in the ftate of Europe have taken place fince they, probably, were written.

Upon the whole, though as to fome few points we differ from this author, we deem his work deferving of very high praife, for the ability and zeal, and (above all the patriotic spirit difplayed in it.

ART. 25.

Subftance of the Speech of the Right Hon. George Canning, in the Houfe of Commons, on Wednesday, April 30, 1806, on Mr. Secretary Windham's Motion, for the Second Reading of the Bill for the Repeal of the Additional Force A&. 8vo. 38 pp. 15. Stockdale. 1806.

Though we do not attempt to judge of military plans and regulations, and leave the queftion between the former and the prefent modes of defence to be difcuffed by critics of a different kind, we cannot but regard this fpeech of Mr. Canning as ably argumentative, and worthy, at leaft, of ferious "confideration. It does not abound with that wit, which this fpeaker has always at command, fo much as with weighty confiderations of prudence and expedience, urged with eloquence.

On

On the fubject of the Volunteers, of whom Mr. C. once or twice takes occafion to speak in honourable terms, the opinion of the country seems to be almoft unanimous, that they deserve the highest commendation for exertions fo admirable, and so patriotic. We fhall therefore indulge ourfelves, and do but juftice to them by citing the following paffage.

"At the very time when it is faid by France, when the school of Talleyrand and Hauterive are labouring to perfuade the nations of Europe, that the people of this country, gorged with wealth, and funk in the low purfuits of gain, are altogether infenfible to honour, and incapable of exertion; that the flesh has fo far overgrown the finew, that there is neither strength nor fpirit remaining among them; at that very moment they have given the lie to these affertions, and have proved themselves alive to every generous and patriotic fentiment. Whatever may be, in the Right Hon. Gentleman's eyes, the military ufe or difadvantage of fuch an effort, it cannot be denied that, upon the Continent at leaft, the Volunteers have given confidence to our friends, and lowered the tone of our enemies; that in whatever part of Eu rope this fudden rush to arms was known, the opinion there inftantly prevailed, that our danger was difpelled, that England was faved." P. 27.

There are many other parts of the fpeech which we could cite with pleasure, but we must not further extend our account.

ART. 26. John Bull's Soliloquies on the late Impeachment. 8vo. 51 PP. 2S. Hatchard. 1806.

In a vein of fome humour, and more feverity, this writer introduces John Bull as giving his fentiments on the impeachment of Lord Melville in feveral thort foliloquies. Though we do not approve of the ftrong perfonalities introduced againft feveral dif tinguished leaders of the late oppofition and prefent adminiftration, (and for that reafon fhall not extract any of them) yet we fhrewdly fufpect that the opinions of the real John Bull have become, fince the trial alluded to, nearly fimilar to thofe which are here avowed by his reprefentative. The latter is, we think, peculiarly fuccefsful in that part where he cenfures the condemnation of the noble Viscount, by the refolutions of the Houfe of Commons, previous to any inquiry. But we "tread on the embers of a flame fcarcely extinguifhed," and will therefore only add, that the reader of this fmall tract will (efpecially if he agree in fentiments with the writer) find half an hour's leifure by no means thrown away.

MILITARY.

ART. 27. A Plan or Propofal for the Augmentation of the Regular Army of the Line-divided into two Parts. First-A Com

parijon

parifon of the Regular Army of the Line, with all the ather Branches of the Military Establishment in point of Voluntary Service, Origin, Expence, Utility, and Conftitutional Legitimacy. Second-The mode of Augmenting the Army of the Line, in which is Included, a Plan for Converting the Militia (conftitu tionally) into a Branch of the Regular Establishment. A new Made of Balloting for a Difpofable Force, and for the Reduction of Bounties, &c. is also propofed. By Military Officers. 8vo. Is. 6d. Scale. 1806.

62 PP.

We have inferted at large the title page of this tract, as it gives nearly as full a view of the contents as our limits would admit. Many of the opinions advanced by these officers are paradoxical and untenable, and fome parts of their plan liable to confiderable objections. Yet it contains fome fuggeftions that may, be worth the attention of those in power, whenever a further revifion of our military fyftem fhall be under confideration. On the general doctrine, that the regular army cannot now be confidered as an unconftitutional force, [or (as it was formerly deemed) dangerous to public liberty, we intirely agree with thefe authors: and, though we highly refpe&t the Militia, and feel the warmeft attachment to the Volunteers of Great Britain, we believe a confiderable and permanent augmentation of the Troops of the Line, to be (as the authors affert) "the most effectual mode of protecting and maintaining to its utmost extent, the Freedom, Power and Independance of a Mighty Empire."

PHILOSOPHY.

ART. 23. Rudiments of Reason; or, The Young Experimental Philofopher: Being a Series of Family Dialogues, in which the Caufes and Effects of the various Phenomena of Nature are rationally and familiarly explained. A new Edition, carefully revised and enlarged, by the Rev. Thomas Smith. 12.mo. pp. 386. 55. Harris. 1805.

The fubje&t of this work is treated in the form of dialogues, of which there are nine; viz. ft. On phyfics; 2d. On motion; 3d. On the mechanical powers; 4th. On hydroftatics; 5th. On pneumatics; 6th. On fire; 7th. On water; 8th. On co. lours; and 9th. On vifion.

In the preface this author fets forth the entertainment which the ftudy of natural philofophy affords to young perfons, and at the fame time fhows the necerity of fimplifying the principles of that fcience, by means of familiar explanations fuited to their juvenile understanding. With refpect to the execution of the work, ke fays, "the moft familiar and eafy terms have been always felected, and the whole fubject is placed in that clear and perfpicuous point of view fo neceffary in a work profeffing, as this docs, to reduce

the

the principles of philofophy to the comprehenfion of children, or of perfons of moderate capacities."

If a large edition of this work, lefs perfect than the prefent, as the latter end of the preface intimates, has really been fold and circulated among the families and the fchools of this nation; we can only fay that we are very forry for it; fince after a careful examination of the prefent improved edition, we think ourselves obliged to declare, that a book containing an equal number of errors, contradictions, abfurdities, and irregularities, can hardly be found among the numerous publications of the laft thirty years.

Without endeavouring to expatiate on the pernicious influence, which the perufal of fuch a work must have on the minds of young people, we fhall refer to a few of its innumerable abfurd paffages, and tranfcribe one or two more, for the fake of proving the fact.

Let the reader who wishes for fatisfaction on this fubject, turn to the account of the elements, in the firft dialogue, p. 3, or to that of the action of aqua fortis on copper, in p. 18.

In page 142, the reader is gravely and circumftantially told, that if empty glafs bottles, well corked and fealed, be let down to a confiderable depth into the fea; afterwards, on being drawn up, they will be found full of the moft tranfparent water, and confiderably more falt than the water on the furface of the fea. The explanation, which is fubjoined to this extraordinary phænomenon, is more curious; if poffible, than the affertion itself, and is thus expreffed.

"Every fathom that the bottle defcended added new ftrata of water over it, and the preffure of fo enormous a weight continuing. inceffantly to act upon it, with weight always increafing, forced through the very pores of the bottle, as well as through the wax and the cork, the acute and fmall particles of falt, which, from the preffure they are always in, at fo prodigious a depth, are urged by the furrounding particles and water, to rufh in wherever there is lefs compreffion: now the pores of the bottle and cork offer pores enough to fuch fine fpicula, which, when entered, melt down into water and foon fill the refpective bottles, when the altitude and bafe of the fea they were in, multiplied into each other, amounted to a ftrength equal to produce fuch an effect!"

The account of the thunder, and thunderbolt at pages 266 and 267, are little lefs curious. In fhort, a great part of the book is, like the fpecimen now produced, NONSENSE. doctrines are illuftrated by four copper-plates.

Thefe curious

DIVINITY.

ART. 29.

The Churchman's Confeffion, or an Appeal to the Being a Sermon preached before the University of Cambridge, Dec. 1, 1805. By the Rev, Charles Simeon, M.A.

Liturgy.

Z

BRIT GRÍT, VOL, XXVIII, SFPT. 1806,

Fellow

Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. 8vo. 30 pp. is. Rivingtons, &c. 1806.

The attempt of Mr. Simeon, in this difcourfe, is to reprefent the Confeffon ufed in our Liturgy, at the beginning of the morning and evening fervice; as implying all that exaggerated doctrine of the vilenefs of human nature, on which fome teachers fo much delight to dwell. To effect this purpose, he endeavours to prove that the words of the confeffion imply much more than they do, and he mif pplies feveral texts of fcripture.

Let us, in the firft place, put one queftion to Mr. Simeon, and to all who have been perfuaded by him; and a very neceffary queftion too, when it is confidered, that the prayer is appointed for daily ufe, and therefore ought to be understood by all. For whom is the confeffion intended? for heathens? for favages? for perfons un converted?-No: for baptized christians. Whatever he may think, then, of the natural depravity of man, which we doubt not he exagerates, it is nothing to the prefent purpofe. The confeffion is intended for thofe who by the merits of Chrift have been washed from all their native depravity-who, if the holy Sacrament of Baptifm be any thing but a mere mockery, and a form, are already regenerate, and become new creatures, quite different from their original ftate. What, alfo, is the imagery they are directed to employ? it is that fuggefted by their merciful Saviour, that of his beep. If the lamb without blemish be fo proper an emblem of him, is the fheep itfelf, though lefs perfect, fo very odious a creature. Inftead of loft sheep, Mr. Simeon and his friends reprefent us as loft wolves, loft hyænas, loft vipers. Be affured, reader, that the confeffion means only to lament and avow the common infirmities of chriftians, and not the odious characters of the enemies of God.

Mr. S.'s citation of texts from Ifaiah, &c. defcribing very dif ferent cafes, and applying them to this, is, as we have intimated before, a grofs perverfion of Scripture.

This attempt upon the Liturgy, therefore, completely fails. The confeffion is not defigned to exprefs any thing more than the general imperfection of our obedience; and the common frailties, to which we all are fubject. But Mr. S. further imputes to it a moft extraordinary power. According to him, "the man that, from his inmost foul, can utter this prayer"-that is, according to bis interpretation of it, "is a real chriftian. Whatever be his views, with refpect to fome particular doctrines (thofe I mean which are diftinguifhed by the name of Calvinifm) his heart is right with God. Whether he admit or reject thofe abftrufer points, he is accepted of God; and if he were to die this moment he would be in heaven the next," p. 27. Pretty bold doctriue this!—and a short receipt for putting all forts of finners upon an equal footing! It is true, that this is not high Calvinism; for the author feems exprefsly to wave fome of the moft material parts of that doctrine.

But