'expiation.' Expiation, according to Todd's Johnson, means 'reparation.' But what reparation for the faults of the guilty, can the murder of innocent persons, make? When the Spanish governor of La Guaira in the West Indies, refused in the year 1799 or 1800, to surrender to the British admiral on the station, the Hermione, which had been carried into the port by its sailors who had mutinied on account of oppressive severities, it was the extreme of cruelty, perhaps of injustice, to shoot two hundred Spaniards on her decks, on her being retaken, in order to avenge, as it has been said, an outrage on the laws of nations.' But I hope that I shall not subject myself to the imputation of appealing merely to the feelings, when I enquire what possible excuse can be supported, for the slaughtering of two hundred innocent men in cold blood, when their utmost crime had been to obey the commands of their properly-constituted officer, the governor of La Guaira? It is remarkable that the origin of this unhappy carnage was the mutiny of English sailors. And yet Spanish combatants were executed in this revolting manner, because they did not mutiny, but on the contrary, followed the orders of resistance given to them by their commander. This was an anomaly of the grossest nature, and as irreconcileable with the principles of justice, as with the exercise of moral sensibility. Of such a nature, are the miserable effects of the retaliative impulses of the mo ment.' pp. 134, 5.

We are reluctant to believe this story, though Mr. Thomas, no doubt, asserts it on sufficient authority. That there was a tre mendous slaughter, we are quite aware; but we cannot suppose that it was in cold blood,' or that the gallant Hamilton would thus tarnish the glory of his splendid achievement. The shore batteries were firing to the last, and we would hope that there was sufficient resistance on the part of the Spanish crew, to take off the atrocity of the act.

In a meagre sketch of Coreggio's life, we are twice told that he painted the Assumption in the cupola of the Duomo'the Cupola de Duomo'-without giving us the slightest intimation of what this Duomo' means, or where it stands. Is Mr. Thomas ignorant that it signifies Cathedral,' and that the edifice in question was at Parma?

We come now to a point which we have no particular disposition to meddle with, but, as we suppose that Mr. Thomas, if we quite neglected it, would attribute our forbearance to fear, we shall slightly advert to it. Mr. T. betrays throughout, a very sufficient share of the odium theologicum against fanatics and Predestinarians; but with this, as it is accompanied with ample demonstration of profound ignorance respecting the very state of the question, we should give ourselves no trouble, were it not for the rancorous personality contained in the following passage.

It is not surprising, when we consider the peculiarly cold tenets

of a certain doctrine, that the disciples of a celebrated theologian, the founder of that doctrine, are generally such bitter and unpleasant companions. Every idea which derogates from the divine beneficence, must lessen not only the happiness, but the benevolence of the man who entertains such idea. And is not that creed a horridly repulsive one, which openly ascribes to the deity, an unjust, arbitrary, and capricious dispensation of final happiness, and which represents him as tyrannically consigning an immense majority of his own creatures to eternal wretchedness? That such disciples should be frequently disagreeable men, is far from unaccountable. It is natural for men to imitate the character of the deity whom they worship. Such is the conclusion to which the history of religion leads us.' pp. 169, 70.

We shall leave this paragraph to speak for itself. It illustrates, far more forcibly than any exposure of ours could do, the spirit, the temper, and the intellectual calibre of the man.

Art. XI. Hints to Ministers and Churches. By the late Rev. Andrew Fuller. 12mo. pp. 226. Price 4s. 6d. London. 1826:

No

man was better qualified than the late Mr. Fuller, to give hints, broad hints, and wise and useful hints to both ministers and people. His views of the Christian ministry, the pastoral office, and the duties of church-members, were unusually clear and just, the dictates of strong sense and sage experience. The present volume lies under the disadvantage of a posthumous publication. It consists of outlines of sermons delivered at ordinations, some of which were addressed to the minister, some to the church, some to both; and they have been judiciously selected from the manuscripts of the Author, as specimens of his sermons, in preference to a miscellaneous volume. Some of them are more than outlines, -spirited etchings rather, not less striking than the finished compositions of many. They appear to us, for the most part strongly characteristic of Mr. Fuller's manner; and as the subject is one on which, as the Editor remarks, there is by no means an excess of instruction,' we should be glad to find that the volume obtained an extensive circulation. We subjoin a specimen.

The end of your existence as a church of Christ, is to "hold forth the word of life." There are two ways of doing this, to both which I hope you will religiously attend; First, By supporting the preaching sof the gospel; and Secondly, By recommending it in your spirit and practice.

I. By SUPPORTING THE PREACHING of the GOSPEL. I scarcely need inform you, that to do this, you must support him that preaches it; and now give me your attention while I mention a few different

ways in which it is your duty, interest, and honour, to support your pastor.

1. By a diligent and constant attendance on his ministry —If possible, at all the services of the Sabbath, and in the week. And those who live in neighbouring places, may support the cause essentially, by receiving their minister at their houses, for the purpose of village preaching.

2. By a free and affectionate carriage towards him.-Treat him as a friend and a brother. If, in his preaching, he should occasionally make a mistake, do not magnify it. Do not make him an offender for a word. You are as likely to mistake in judging, as he is in advancing a sentiment. If you perceive faults in his deportment, do not whisper them about; but kindly mention them to him. Do not give ear to every report concerning him. He has a right to 'expect this as a brother, much more as an elder. Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father." That is, an elder in office, and as such, he has an especial claim on your forbearance and protection. Ministers are the objects of envy; and if every report against them were encouraged, they would be unable to stand their ground.— Under trials and afflictions especially, you should manifest great tenderness towards them. God often afflicts ministers for the good of the people that they may be able to comfort those who are afflicted surely then, it becomes the people to be very affectionate - towards them under their trials,-You that are officers in the church, should especially be concerned to bear up his hands, as Aaron and Hur stayed the hands of Moses.'

greater honour still, if they contribute liberally. Consider your minister's salary, not as a gift, but as a debt'; and not as done to him, but to Christ. Give liberally, or you will lose the liberal reward. Give it as due to the cause of Christ, or Christ will take no favouras able notice of it. A generous and punctilious regard to God's sera vants, even in their temporal character, was a feature of the great reformation in the days of Nehemiah. pp. 19–21.

Art. XII. A Letter to a friend on the Authority, Purpose, and

Effects of Christianity, and especially on the Doctrine of Redemption. By Joseph John Gurney. 12mo. pp. 70. Price 1s. 6d.

London. 1824. THIS little publication deserves to be noticed as a brief

, compendious summary of the leading evidences and distinguishing features of Christianity. The calmness of manner and scriptural simplicity by which Mr. Gurney's writings are characterised, render them particularly adapted to gain, attention from that large class of semi-infidels who, while professedly acknowledging Christ as a master, have never fled to him as a Saviour, or submitted to the righteousness of God. Among a portion of his own community, and still more extensively among the Protestants of France and Germany,, a specious Theophilanthropism prevails, attended by a morbid, dislike of theology, which it is very difficult to deal with. The principle of unbelief is the same in every heart, but its operations are almost infinitely diversified, and require to be met with a dexterous accommodation of the mode of argument or appeal to the prejudices and habits of the individual, in order“

“to save some.”. With one, a simple statement, freed from all technítality of phrase, like the present Letter, shall succeed in cônciliating attention and awakening inguiry where a more direct appeal to the conscience would fail ; while with another, the full-toned explicitness of Mr. Wilberforce's “View," or even the homely tract, shall be best adapted to prevail.

In dealing with all sorts of unbelievers, the first thing is to ascertain what common ground exists between us, because, till certain premises are settled, all argument is useless. Perhaps it is not sufficiently borne in mind, that infidelity, though always connected with an irreligious state of heart, partakes more or less of the character of a mistake,—an awful as well as a guilty one, we admit, yet one which it may rest with us to contirm by injudicious treatment, or, by kindness and con. cession, greatly to remove.

ART. XIII. SELECT LITERARY INFORMATION.

In the press, Notes and Reflections during a Ramble in Germany. By the Author of " Recollections in the Peninsula," "Sketches of India," "Scenes and Impressions in Egypt and Italy," and "Story of a Life."

The Rev. John Fry has in the press, A New Translation and Exposition of the Book of Job. 1 vol. 8vo.

Professor Lee's Lectures on the Hebrew Language, are now nearly ready for publication.

In the press, Travels of the Russian Mission through Mongolia to China, and Residence in Pekin, in the Years 1820, 21. By George Tinkowski. With Corrections and Notes, by M. J. Klaproth. In 2 vols. 8vo. illustrated by Maps, Plates, &c. &c.

In the press, A History of the Revolution in Ireland, in 1688, 9; partly from Materials hitherto unpublished, and with an lutroductory Chapter. By John O'Driscol, Esq.

ART. XIV. LIST OF WORKS RECENTLY PUBLISHED.

The Title-page, Contents, and Index to Vol. XXV. will be given with the next Number.