him any homage. It is from demons, or evil spirits, only that they apprehend danger, and they endeavour to deprecate their wrath by sacrifice and offerings." The worship of evil beings, under the same notion, was common both in the east, and in the great western continent*. Shall we trace the quiescent deity of the epicureans to an African source? or shall we suppose, that these reputed barbarians and the polished Greeks and Romans, in their most polished times, without any intercommunication, happened perfectly to coincide in their sentiments on the most important subject of human science?

The next chapter, which is the last, carries on the view of African idolatry and superstition. The practice of witchcraft, transported by the Africans to the West Indies, and there known by the name of Obi, will peculiarly attract the attention of the reader. The whole account, however, at the same time that it interests and gratifies curiosity, can hardly be read by a christian without sentiments of deep lamentation, that so large a portion of the habitable world should, notwithstanding its intercourse with civilized and christian nations, lie still immersed in the depth of pagan darkness; nor without earnest prayer, that the time may not be far distant, when the light of the glorious gospel of Christ shall shine with all its lustre on a benighted and miserable land.

There are five appendixes to the first volume. The first, a description of the colony of Sierra Leone; the second, a meteorological account of the same; the third, a description of the termites, perhaps the most curious insects in the whole range of creation; e fourth, a vocabulary of the Bullom and Timmanee languages; the fifth, a vocabulary of the Soosoo

language.

The second volume consists almost entirely of an account of the present state of medicine among the Africans, and is, therefore, less calculated for general reading than the first, which may be had separately. The appendix to the second volume, among other papers, contains a refutation of Mr. White's hypothesis respecting the regular gradation of man. This hypothesis

* See Leland's Advantage and Necessity, &c. Part I. ch. v. pp. 138, &c. 8vo. edit.

CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 27.

is shewn by Dr. Winterbottom to stand on the same slippery foundations of distorted facts, palpable misrepresentations, and inconclusive reasonings, which are employed to uphold every other part of that miserable edifice of infidelity, which it has been the unwearied, but fruitless labour of modern sciolists to erect. The venerable fabric of religion, on whose ruins alone this edifice can be reared, has already stood the storms of near six thousand years, and we are assured that the gates of hell shall never prevail against it.

The work is illustrated by several maps and engravings, some of which are executed in a superior style.

We have nothing more to add to the approbation which we have already expressed of this production of Dr. Winterbottom's pen, than that the style in which it is written is pure, and adapted to its subject, for the most part, as it ought to be, lenis ac fluens oratio, but occasionally animated by a vigorous and picturesque phraseology.

CL. A Bibliographical Dictionary; containing a chronological Account, alphabetically arranged, of the most curious, scarce, useful, and important Books, in all Departments of Literature, which have been published in Latin, Greek, Coptic, Hebrew, Samaritan, Syriac, Chaldee, Ethiopic, Arabic, Persian, Armenian, &c. &c. On small and large paper, 12mo. Vol. IV. 1803. R. and W. Dean and Co. Manchester; and W. Baynes, London.

OUR review of the former volumes of this work must be qualified by the letter which it produced from the respectable editor, and by our vindication, Christian Observer, Vol. III. pp. 104–108. We proceed, with greater satisfaction, to examine what may appear worthy of notice in the fourth volume.

The observations which occur, pp. 62, 63, concerning Lord Herbert, the first and least contemptible of the English deists, but at the same time a perfect visionary, are well calculated to set his authority in its proper place.

The physician's oath, extracted from the works of Hippocrates, (pp.

Ꮓ

107, 108,) deserved the celebrity which is given to it; nor would this instance of integrity and piety in a heathen be unworthy of the imitation of christian professors of the same art. An oath to the same purpose is to be found in the works of Galen.

Hobbs is characterized as he merits. See pp. 110, 111.

The character of the apostate, pedant, and insidious persecutor, Julian, is faithfully drawn. All the efforts of congenial and sympathizing infidelity to blanch this Ethiopian have failed of their effect. pp. 186

188.

The impiety and futility of the system of Epicurus, as presented and adorned by Lucretius, is stigmatized with just severity. (See pp. 308, 309). Jortin supposed Epicurean principles to be the almost certain præcursors of the dissolution of a state, and he supposed those principles to be gaining ground in this country in his time.

We shall now point out some instances in the work under review, in which, as appears to us, room may be afforded for correction or improvement.

We suppose that the Editor, under the article Testament, to which he refers, will inform his readers, that the Comment. Crit. &c. of Griesback, (p. 34,) is published in parts, and how many have then appeared.

There is an error of the press in p. 88, line 4; the full stop should be a comma, and the word "The" be printed without a capital letter.

Among the works of Huet, we expected that the famous posthumous and pyrrhonic Traité Philosophique de la Foiblesse de l'Esprit Humain, would not have been omitted, as, considered in conjunction with the Demonstratio Evangelica of the same author, it places the character of this erudite, but inconsistent, prelate in a curious point of view.

Under the article Hyde (p. 154,) a Persian translation of the pentateuch is called "The Targum." The name is, by general use, applied exclusively to the Chaldee paraphrases; but it is likewise applied to other translations, and to that mentioned by our author in particular. Etsi vero ad omnes translationes hæc vox accommodari possit, unde Tavvosi Translatio Pentateuchi Persica Targum appelletur, et de versionibus in linguam Græcam et Ethiopicam ab ipsis Judæis idem vocabulum usurpetur, ut apud Eliam in Tisbi voce, et alios est videre, peculiariter tamen usus ipsum appropriavit ad paraphrases Chaldaicas, &c. Walton, Prol. xii. §4. See likewise Prol. xiv. § 15. This Persian translation might, therefore, be called a Targum, but we question the propriety of calling it "The Targum.'

When the Editor, p. 200, speaking of the conversion of Justin the Martyr, writes, "though others say," &c. it must have escaped his recollection, that the account which he thus introduces, is that which Justin gives of himself. See the beginning of the first part of his dialogue with Trypho.

The principal work of Limborch, his Theologia Christiana, we were surprised to find passed over in silence. See p. 270. The mention of Limborch reminds us of the entire omission of Episcopius in the preceding volume.

Luther should certainly have found a place in p. 309.

We may possibly be under a mistake in some of these observations; but it was our desire to contribute what in us lay to the greater perfection of a valuable work. Uler this view we trust they will be accepted, and, if necessary, excused.

For the Christian Observer. You have several times taken occasion to quote the, Monthly Review with censure. Your impartiality will, I doubt not, induce you with equal cheerfulness to admit any sentiments

taken from that work, which are entitled to commendation. Such, it appears to me, are the following reflections, the truth and importance of which forcibly struck my mind in looking over the Monthly Review for November last; and I think you will

agree with me, that, in aiding their circulation, you will at once promote the best interests of the Church of England, and serve the cause of unsophisticated morality, and genuine christianity. The work reviewed is Mr. Pearson's Annotations on the practical Part of Dr. Paley's " Principles of moral and political Philosophy;" and after reciting at large that gentleman's remarks on Dr. Paley's chapter, relating to Subscription to Articles of Religion, the reviewer proceeds thus:

"These remarks appear ingenious and liberal; but the mind is rarely pleased with itself when it is forced to employ such kind of casuistry; and granting it to be admissible, consistently with the purest morality, in its full extent, what is the utility of subscription, or how can it be the support of any system whatever? If

a distinction is to be made between sub

scribing to articles, and subscribing to their

sense, the affair of subscription is completely nugatory, and even farcical. Supposing, moreover, that the sense of the articles is not fixed by the legislature; how unmeaning is that act which directs that no ecclesiastical person shall maintain any doctrine repugnant to them? If their sense is to vary in different ages, how can they be said to promote uniformity, or to have any proper standard of their truth?

There can be little sound logic in such attempts; and however a divine may contrive to satisfy himself, by adroitness of argumentation, in subscribing a certain torm in a sense different from its obvious and literal meaning, he would have been much better pleased if the necessity for such a subscription had not existed. The conversion of articles of faith into articles of peace may be deemed a happy thought; but the sturdy moralist' will not sanction it by his imprimatur; though he may sigh over the hard case of those who are forced to avail themselves of such an expedient. It is curious to observe the contrarieties which stare us in the face on this subject. The articles are expressly asserted to be set forth for the purpose of preventing diversity of opinion; and yet it is said, that the governors of the church allow the articles to be so understood as to comprehend some variety of senses; that is, the very thing is allowed in subscription, for the prevention of which subscription is required. We recommend to Mr. Paley the re-consideration of this subject; for pure morality is not always promoted by ingenuity."

If your readers, Sir, wish to be better acquainted with Mr. Pearson's views on this interesting subject, I must refer them to his own work, or to the review from which this extract

is made. The good sense and irresistible reasoning contained in the above reflections require no comment, and may be safely left to speak for themselves to every man's heart and conscience. One thought only I cannot suppress, which occurred to me as I read them-How easily is a trick perceived by a bye-stander, which escapes the notice of those who are playing the game! By all accounts these Monthly Reviewers are neither friends to the constitution nor doctrines of the established Church, and having no personal interest therefore to warp their judgment, how plainly do they see what to some persons, less favourably circumstanced, it should seem is absolutely undiscernible; that all attempts to reconcile subscription to articles of religion with disbelief of the plain and obvious doctrines they inculcate, are disingenuous and immoral, tending to the disgrace of those who adopt them, and reflecting contempt and censure on the church of which they are ministers! One act of disingenuousness prepares the mind for another, and it is therefore, perhaps, less to be wondered at than lamented, that the very persons who enlist themselves among the disciples of a Paley, a Powel, or a Pearson, and, under different pretences, contend for subscription to the articles in various senses, will nevertheless affirm, when it suits their purpose, that they hold the pure and genuine doctrine of those articles, and resist with indignation the similar claim set up by those who, while they are known to differ very materially opinions, resort to none of those exfrom themselves in their religious pedients and subterfuges in their subscriptions, which their adversaries avowedly employ. And yet does not this very different conduct, in the matter of subscription, pretty plainly speak for itself? Will the bye-stander be at any loss to determine, who is most likely to hold the true and primitive doctrine of the articles, he that subscribes them without doubt or reservation in their plain grammatical sense, or he who tortures their phraseology to extort another meaning from them than that which is obvious, and lies upon the surface; or else, finding that this artifice will not avail him, flies to the miserable shift of subscribing them in the sense of the present governors of the church, as ar

ticles of peace, &c. &c.? Men seldom give themselves trouble for no end, or prefer, without necessity, a difficult to a smooth and easy path. He that climbs the wall, or picks a hole in it to creep through, may be pretty certainly concluded not to carry the key of the door in his pocket. N. G.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

AFTER reading the very animated addresses of Mr. Horne and Mr. Hall, as inserted in your last numbers, I was led to consider what might be their effects upon the minds of our countrymen in general. Husbands, fathers, patriots, may there find every feeling appropriate to their respective characters roused into action: but a more important inquiry followed. Are they each and all of them prepared to die? And if not prepared for death, is the cause equivalent to the sacrifice they are about to make? "Victory will not settle on your banners," says Melville Horne, "till many a gallant volunteer is stretched in the field." If they be all christians, the sacrifice of a few days, or months, or years, would be of little account when weighed in the balance with freedom, "the most important by far of sublunary interests.' But if unbelievers, if under the condemnation of God's holy law, if dying they should be accursed, where will an equivalent be found? Their sacrifice would be succeeded with horrors, which the eloquence of an Hall cannot describe! Who then shall recompense their loss? If I do not mistake, both these authors address characters of every description; no distinction is made between those who are fit and those who are not fit to die. "We will not suppose," says Mr. Hall," there is one who will be deterred from exerting himself in such a cause by a pusillanimous regard to his own safety, when he reflects that he has already lived too long, who has survived the ruin of his country, and that he who can enjoy life after such an event deserves not to have lived at all."

The above sentiments are worthy Cicero or Demosthenes, but when from Jesus Christ I learn that nothing can profit me if I lose my soul, I dare to fix an higher value on my safety than

A. B.

We do not wish to anticipate the answers which the two able writers, who are particularly alluded to in the above letter may chuse to give to these queries. We think it right, however, not to leave them wholly unnoticed.

With respect to the first, we beg to ask A. B. whether, in case he and his family were attacked by midnight robbers, he would think it sinful to call his "unconverted" neighbours to assist, even with some hazard to their lives, in repelling the lawless aggression? or whether, if, after they had remained inactive spectators of the grossest outrages on his property and on the persons of those who were dearest to him, they should excuse their inactivity on the ground that they were unconverted-he would be satisfied with the plea? Many cases, at least equally strong, might be employed to shew the untenableness of the ground on which A. B. has placed his objections to the sermons of Messrs. Horne and Hall; but a stronger can scarcely be imagined than that very case, the dreadful reality of which has given occasion to their animated exhortations. Is the defence of our country then from a foreign invader less incumbent on us than the protection of one family from the violence of the spoiler, or of one individual from the poignard of the assassin? Or shall we hesitate to urge men to the performance of so manifest a duty, merely because they neglect other duties which are still more important? And even if we direct

our view, with A. B., to consequences, may we not further ask, whether it is likely that the spiritual state of the "unconverted sinners," who fill our ranks, would be bettered; on the contrary, would it not be rendered worse by their withdrawing from the field of battle, and yielding their country an easy prey to French invaders? And would not the eternal interests of a greater number of individuals be, probably, endangered by successful invasion, than by a determined resistance of the enemy?

Let it not be supposed, however, that by any thing we have said in reply to the first, we mean to weaken the force of A. B.'s last query, We wish rather to second, with all our might, the just and affecting appeal to the conscience of every mimister of the gospel which it contains. May God himself impress it upon their hearts, and awaken them to a becoming sense of their increased and awful responsibility!

GREAT BRITAIN. A CLERICAL Calendar, or Annual Register of the ecclesiastical establishment in England and Wales, will be published in the present year, comprising correct and authentic lists of-1. The bishops and their respective appointments.-2. The dignitaries in each diocese, with their several benefices.-3. The beneficed clergy in each diocese, with their patrons, and the name and value of their livings.-4. The spiritual officers of each diocese; to which will be added, a List of the Members of the Lower Houses of Convocation, representing the chapters and inferior clergy; together with notices of the clerical appointments of the preceding year.

The Reverend JOSIAH PRATT has circulated proposals for publishing, in ten volumes 8vo. The whole works, expository, devotional, practical, polemical, and miscellaneous, now first collected, of BISHOP HALL. An elegant portrait of the Bishop will be given, a new life, and a complete index to the whole. One volume will be delivered every three months, price seven shillings and sixpence in boards, to be paid for on delivery, which price will be raised to bine shillings when the work is completed. The first volume will be put to the press when a competent number of names is obtained.

In the press; a volume of Sermons by the late DR. DRUMMOND, Archbishop of York, with a biographical sketch written by his son, the Reverend Hay Drummond. -A new Translation of the Works of SALLUST, by HENRY STEWART, Esq. in two volumes quarto, with two Essays on the Life and Writings of Sallust, with notes critical and biographical, intended to illustrate the civil and literal history of the age of Augustus.-A second edition, greatly enlarged and improved, of 4 System of

Chemistry, by Dr. T. THOMSON.-Letters written by the late EARL OF CHATHAM to his nephew, Thomas Pitt, Esq. (afterward Lord Camelford) when at College.-An account of New South Wales, by B. H. MALKIN, Esq. M. A. in one volume quarto, with plates by La Porte, after original drawings by himself.-The Scenery, Antiquities, Natural History, and Customs of North Wales, by the Reverend W. BINGLEY, M. A. F. L. S. illustrated by engravings and music, in two volumes octavo. -Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain, from the year 1727 to the conclusion of the American War in 1783, by R. BEATSON, Esq. author of the political index to the histories of Great Britain and Ireland, in six volumes octavo.-An Excursion into France, from the cessation of hostilities in 1801, to the 13th of December, 1805, including a narrative of the unprecedented detention of the English travellers in that country, as prisoners of war, by CHARLES MACLEAN, M. D.The History of England, related in familiar conversation by a father to his children, by ELIZABETH HELME, in two volumes 12mo.-Madoc, an Epic Poem, by ROBERT SOUTHEY.-Sermons on the Evils that are in the World, and various other topics; from the German of the Reverend G. J. ZOLLIKOFER, by the Reverend W. TooKE, F. R. S. in two volumes octavo, with a head of the author.-Occasional Discourses on various subjects, by the Reverend R1CHARD MUNKHOUSE, D.D. of Queen's College, Oxford, in three volumes octavo,~~ An Enquiry into the Nature and Origin of Wealth, and into the Means and Causes of its Increase, by the EARL OF LAUDERDALE; in one volume octavo.-Elements of Me chanical Philosophy, by JOHN ROBISON, LL. D. Professor of Natural Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh; in one vo