their present visible and tangible effects. The rewards or the punishments, which the justice of God apportions to the vice or the virtue of nations, are rather matters of present intuition than of future expectation. But individuals are to look for recompence in the world beyond the grave. The moral government of nations therefore which is the object of sense rather than of faith, is more susceptible of demonstration and liable to fewer objections than that of individuals. In this world individuals are not always happy and prosperous in proportion to the degree of their moral worth; but the happiness or misery of nations always constitutes the criterion of their rank in the scale of moral obligation. The quantum of moral determines that of their physical good. The more or the less temperance, truth, justice, industry and public spirit there are among them, the more they flourish or decay. This is capable of rigid demonstration. But few fast sermons have come under our inspection; but this publication of Mr. Jackson, though it is not free from common place remarks, is, on the whole, entitled to commendation. ART. 12.-The Christian Officer's complete Armour; containing Arguments in Favour of a Divine Revelation. By Colonel A. Burn, of the Royal Marines. With a Recommendation of the Work by Sir Richard Hill, Bart. Second Edition. 4s. Matthews and Leigh. 1808. THE panoply which is here offered to the public against the shafts of infidelity, under the auspices of Sir Richard Hill, brother of the Rev. Rowland Hill, is formed of a dialogue between a major and a captain. The captain combats the scepticism of the major, and at last succeeds in reconciling his mind to a belief in the christian revelation. ART. 13.-An Attempt to display the original Evidences of Christianity in their genuine Simplicity. By N. Nisbett, A. M. Rector of Tunstall. 8vo. White. 1807. MR. Nisbett considers the four gospels principally as a history of the controversy between our Saviour and the Jews concerning the true nature of the office and character of the Messiah. This hypothesis Mr. N. thinks abundantly confirmed by the phenomena: and considers it as a sure guide to the right understanding of the New Testament and some of its most obscure and difficult passages. The present performance of Mr. Nisbett, as well as that which we noticed in our last number, contains many judicious observations; and we think that the theological student may be much benefited by the perusal. CRIT. REV. Vol. 14. June, 1808. P ART. 14.-Six Sermons on the Church Catechism; originally delivered in the Parish Church of High Wycombe, Bucks, 1797-1801, at the Busby Lecture. Now first revised and published with Notes critical and expository. By the Rev. IV. B. Williams, M. A. Minister of Ram's Chapel, Hanerton; one of the Lecturers of St. Antholine and St. John the Baptist, Watling-street; Thursday Morn ing Lecturer of St. Peter's upon Cornhill; and Chaplain to the Marquis of Lansdown. 8vo. 3s. 6d. Rivingtons. 1808. WE cannot bestow any high praise on these lectures; there is nothing definite in the explanations, and much that is unscriptural in the doctrines. Pag. 10, the author represents the uncertain and highly controverted doctrine of atonement as the chief pillar of our faith, and the basis of our hope.'-Might he not as well have affirmed it at once to be the sum total of religion? For if it be the main support of all that we are to believe and the chief foundation of all that we are to expect, why need we trouble ourselves any farther? What necessity for theological research? what for practical exertion? This doctrine is all-sufficient; and those who are in possession of such a salvo cannot do amiss. But it happens unfortunately for the verity of this doctrine, which Mr. W. calls the chief pillar of our faith and basis of our hope,' that it is never once sanctioned by the authority of our Saviour. And we simple and unlearned Christians, who have not taken any pains, like Mr. Williams to puzzle our intellects with all that theological reading which is never read, are not willing to receive any doctrine as essential to salvation which Christ himself did not clearly and incontrovertibly in culcate. Now though we never find Christ teaching any thing like this doctrine of atonement, yet we do find him most explicitly and most strenuously enjoining us to believe that he was the Messiah, to do as we would be done by, to love God with all our hearts and our neighbour as ourselves. Those parts therefore of the church catechism, and only those which inculcate this genuine unadulterat ed species of Christianity, are what Mr. W. would have done mos wisely to explain without meddling with any dark and polemical points of faith; which if they be parts of the catechism, are certainly no part of the scriptures. In the age of ignorance in which the catechism was composed, it is not to be wondered, that some abstruse points of scholastic theology should have been introduced, but it is the duty of the modern expositor not to dwell on those points, except it be to shew that they are not authorized by the scriptures. It behoves him to confine his attention more exclusively to the enforcement of those duties, the practice of which is the only condition of future acceptance with the Deity, while it conduces more than any thing else to the security of government and to the present happiness of mankind. ART. 15.-The Propriety of the Time of Christ's Appearance in the World; with Reflections on the Nature and Utility of pub lic Worship ;-a Sermon preached May 23d, 1808, at the opening of the new General Baptist Meeting-house, Cranbrook, Kent. Second Edition. 15. H. D. Symonds. MR. Evans is well known to the public by his interesting Sketch of the Denominations of the Christian World.' That work breathes a spirit of moderation and of charity which does great honour to the author; and the present performance does not contain any sentiments which are not in unison with the amiable and benevolent character which Mr. Evans has established both by his conduct and his writings. The General Baptists are a highly respectable body of Christians; and there are among them many teachers who would do honour to any church. POLITICS. ART. 16.--Debates in Parliament respecting the Jennerian Discovery, including the late Debates on the further Grant of twenty Thousand Pounds to Dr. Jenner. Together with the Report of the Royal College of Physicians of London, on the Vaccine Inoculation; with Introductory Remarks, by Charles Murruy. 5s. Murray, Fleet Street. 1808. AS parliament by a grant of ten and then of twenty thousand pounds to Dr. Jenner for the discovery of an antidote to the small pox, have sanctioned the practice of vaccination, and as the practice has been approved by the royal college of physicians and by all the medical men of the greatest eminence in the empire, we doubt whether the house of commons ought not to proceed a step farther and make inoculation for the small pox an object of legislative prohibition. We do not in general approve of legislative interference in those cases which ought to be left to the good sense and experience of mankind; but in the present instance, where a country is infested by a most virulent,loathsome and destructive malady, for which a safe and easy remedy has been discovered, but of which not only prejudiced ignorance but interested artifice is labouring most assiduously to prevent the adoption, may not the representatives of the people humanely interpose to prevent the dissemination of the poison and to generalise the use of the antidote? The health, as well as the morals of the people are, by no means, unworthy the attention of the legislature; and in addition to the extirpation of the small-pox virus we should with pleasure Sehold the house of commons exerting their authority to extirpate the use of spirituous liquors, which are a deadly poison both to. the health and the morals of the community. But we forget that the pest, which is suffered to ravage the community in the form of alcoholized distillations is a prolific source of revenue; and perhaps if the small pox had in a similar manner been an object of taxation, the philanthropy of the treasury would rather have rewarded Dr. Jenner for suppressing, than divulging his discovery. The editor has prefixed a very sensible introduction to the republication of these debates. ART.17-A comparative View of the Plans of Education, as detailed in the Publications of Dr. Bell and Mr. Luncaster. By Joseph For. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Darton und Harvey. IN this pamphlet the author appreciates the claim to priority in the new plan of education, which belongs to Dr. Bell and Mr. Lancaster. The original idea seems to be the property of Dr. Bell, but this has been so much enlarged and improved by Mr. Lancas ter, that he is entitled at least to divide the palm with his competitor. Mr. Fox however thinks that Mr. L. deserves by far the greatest portion of the praise. Mr. L. indeed seems to have car. ried the plan for abbreviating the labours of the master and for accelerating the improvement of the scholar, for diminishing the expence and multiplying the facilities of education to a degree of perfection far beyond what appears ever to have been in the contemplation of Dr. Bell. For the practice of writing in sand Mr. Lancaster is certainly indebted to Dr. Bell; and Dr. Bell is said to have borrowed it from a school in Malabar. But whatever may be the different degrees of praise to which Dr. Bell and Mr. Lancaster are respectively entitled, we think that they both deserve so much, that the portion which is bestowed on one need not be deducted from that which is due to the other. Both merit that wreath of renown which Philanthropy will always weave for her choicest favourites; which is composed of flowers that will never fade. ART. 18.-Letter on the Catholic Claims; written to the late Right Hon. Edmund Burke, in the Year 1795. By the Hon. William Smith, L.L.D. F.R.S. and M.R. L.A. now Third Baron of the Exchequer in Ireland, then a Member of the late Parliament of that Country. 1s. 6d. Hatchard. 1808. AT the time of writing this letter the learned author does not seem to have made up his mind on the great question of Catholic emancipation. The pros and the cons were oscillating in his brain; but the cons seem to have had the preponderance; though we trust that, long ere this, the experience of thirteen years has ena bled the pros to turn the scale; and that Mr. Baron Smith at present considers the acquiescence of government in the petition of the Catholics as a measure not only of temporary expedience but of moral duty and the highest political importance. ART. 19.-Brother Abraham's Answer to Peter Plymley, Esq. In two Letters, to which is prefixed a Postliminious Preface. 8vo. Cradock and Joy. 1808. THOUGH we did not expect that these pages would be filled with any weight of argument we did hope to find them enlivened by some scintillations of wit. We have, however, to our mortification, found them miserably deficient both in wit and argument. ART. 20.-A Letter on Toleration and the Establishment; addressed to the Right Hon. Spencer Perceval, Chancellor of the Exchequer. With some Remarks on his projected Bill. 1s. 6d. Rivingtons. 1808. Svo. THE writer says, p. 3, that the most enlarged máxims of toleration do not require more than a permission to every class and to every individual of society to profess any opinions, or to follow any modes of worship which do not militate against those fundamental principles, both of natural and revealed religion, on which the moral obligations of society are established; or exhibit any cir cumstances prejudicial to the peace and good order of the community. We believe that these maxims of toleration, if they were acted upon, would soon lead to the most outrageous persecution. For who is to determine what are the fundamental principles of revealed religion? The author may, perhaps, think that such. principles are contained in the creed which bears the name of Athanasian. But if no persons are to be permitted even to profess opinions which are repugnant to this creed, we must again fill Smithfield with faggots; and let the metropolis be illuminated by the conflagration of heretics.-The author seems to refer with more complacency than we argrove to the 9th and 10th of William III. which inflicts the most dreadful peInalties on the denial of any of the persons of the Athanasian Trinity. Does he think this act necessary to the safety of the establishment? If so, we must suppose that the doctrines of the establishment are not true; for if true, they can receive no injury from discussion; and, if false, do they not call for a rational refu tation ?-According to our sentiments of toleration, which are we believe in unison with those of Mr. Locke, all opinions may be safely left to themselves without any legal penalties being annexed to their profession. For where opinions of every genus and species have a free and unimpeded circulation, they will, like grosser bodies, soon find their own level.-The false will finally be subverted by the true; but, where the rights of discussion are not subject to any narrow limitations, the true can never be overwhelmed by the false. -No opinions, whether moral or theological, physical or metaphysical, are proper objects of judicial cognizance, till they are embodied in overt acts; and then it is the acts rather than the opini |