rhapsodies, no metaphorical abfurdity. His language is that of nature; and the heart owns it. We are pleased to find that he has chofen the better path, and that our drama may boast another writer who poffeffes the eye that can fee nature, the heart that can feel nature, and the refolution that dares follow nature.'

Sermons on various Subjects; more particularly on Chriftian Faith and Hope, and the Confolations of Religion. By George Henry Glaffe, M. A. &c. 8vo. 75. Boards. Cadell and Davies. 1798.

IN the perufal of these discourses, the unfeemly warmth which prevails in many of them, and the boldnefs of affertion in others, ftruck us more particularly than any inftances of merit or excellence in the compofition. At times, even when we agree with the author in his pofitions, we fear that his mode of expreffion may excite mifapprehenfion; and we could wish to have feen fome few qualifications, which would by no means have derogated from the orthodoxy of his faith. He is indeed ftrictly orthodox; yet we have no doubt that fome of his hearers muft occafionally have been startled at his expreffions. Thus, from the present application of the word Unitarian to fuppofed heretics, they would fcarcely be pleased at being blended in fuch positive terms with that fect.

'The church of England, established on the most fure basis of Christianity, is, in conformity to the letter and spirit of her blessed Mafter's doctrine, ftrictly Unitarian. Let not my beloved brethren be startled at the word. Let them not shrink from a title, which is the glory of the true believer, because it has been profaned and contaminated by the enemies of our holy faith: because innovating heretics have dared to ftigmatize us with idolatry, and to challenge for themselves, by a bold ufurpation, the name of Unitarians, as if we had gods many, and lords many, while in fact we have but " one God, and his name one;" his holy, reverend, incommunicable name.' P. 57.

There cannot be a doubt that the church of England is Unitarian; and the preacher properly introduces, in proof of his affertion, the first of the thirty-nine articles. Yet perhaps he would have difplayed more wifdom, if he had difcriminated with greater coolnefs between the unity afcribed by the Unitarians to the Deity, and that which is attributed to the fame divine being by the church of England and the great body of Trinitarians. He obferves with reafon, that, if the Son and Holy Ghoft are worshiped,

It is fo far from militating against the unity of God, that while we adore the blessed and glorious Trinity, we disclaim, and from our hearts difavow any plurality of worship.' P. 61.

He then proceeds to the proofs that our Saviour was a man ; but, when he examines the other point, that of the divinity, he does not felect those which are the strongest, and introduces what will not be acknowledged as fuch by the majority of Trinitarians. Without controverfy, great is the mystery of godlinefs: God was manifefted in the flesh.' He fhould have recollected, that this is a doubtful paffage, and that the Catholic church reads which for God in its teftaments and fervices.

The spirit of our author breaks out in various paffages.

When the establishment of the church of England is openly and undisguisedly attacked by those who have long been attempting its demolition in fecret, we know not what may enfue; we know not to what trials our Divine Corrector may think it neceffary to call us. Though it may be urged that our dangers are apparently leffened, let us not too fondly truft to the fpecious calm. Let us not think that it is peace, fo long as the devices of anti-christian fedition, and her witchcrafts are fo many.'

P, 6.

That there are, even in this country, bufy, restless, malicious adversaries-that they have long been fecretly meditating our de ftruction, and that, of late years, they have attempted it in a more open and decifive manner, is a truth, which we must be blind indeed not to acknowledge. The fpirit, which at all times lurketh in the children of difobedience, and which hath ever moulded them to his purpose fince the first-born Cain fhed the blood of an innocent martyr, hath in these latter days walked abroad with a degree of triumphant elevation. Fatally fuccefsful elsewhere, his emiffaries attempted to give effect to their ftratagems here. "They who have turned the world upfide down, came hither alfo." Our ecclefiaftical and civil establishment was the object of their avowed hoftility. Could they but have accomplished the overthrow of either part of our fyftem, they doubted not that the downfall of its affociate would fpeedily follow. Therefore did they encourage themselves in mifchief-therefore did they proclaim inveterate war against loyalty and religion, and fet up their banners for tokens. Fain would they have planted their "abomination that maketh defolate" amidst the ruins of thrones and altars that tree, whofe fruit is unto profanation, and the end thereof everlasting death: that ́ tree, which (like the fabled poifon-fhrub of the eastern world) causes all other vegetation to languish and die; which creates a defert around its noxious trunk, and rejoices in horror and devasta tion.' P. 13.

If the infidels or heretics receive from him fuch fevere chaftisement, popery is treated by him with extraordinary favour.

Alas! were the faithful pastors, who have fallen under the daggers of affaffination, finners above all the fervants of Christ? Far otherwise. As gold in the furnace have they been tried, and received as a burnt-offering. However we may differ from them on fome important doctrinal points, we must be loft to a sense of all that is great and glorious, if we do not applaud their heroic conftancy, their unconquerable zeal, and that hope, full of immortality, which furmounted the fear of diffolution. Faithful confeffors, intrepid martyrs, they rejoiced in following the steps of their Redeemer and their church, folitary, and a widow, is more venerable, more lovely amidst its tears, than in all the pride and pageantry of bridal magnificence.' r. 20.

We think, however, that the Romish church was at no time venerable or lovely in the eyes of the true proteftant. We cannot applaud the preacher's knowledge, either of the phænomena of nature or of theological criticifm. He pretends to explain one of the causes of the deluge,

• What alterations do we behold in the frame of nature! Lo, "the fountains of the great deep are broken up :" the internal abyfs of waters, (rarified and dilated by the central fire) with a fhock moft tremendous, with an explofion beyond all idea, bursts the terrestrial globe into innumerable fragments.' P. 37.

This central fire is mere fancy. From the material we turn to the invisible world; and here Mr. Glaffe is more decifive.

• The fact then is certain, and incontrovertible, that there is, in the unfeen world (the existence of which no one doubts, who has either the faith of a chriftian, or the common sense of a man) a restless, active, malignant Spirit.' P. 321.

Now we understand that feveral respectable ministers of the church of England are of a very different opinion; and a difference of fentiment upon fuch a fubject, does not violate the main articles of the church, found orthodoxy, or common fenfe. But our preacher delights in pofitive affertions; and he evidently cannot bear contradiction.

Under the fanction of this high authority, I fhall endeavour to fhew, that to believe in God, without believing in Christ, is vain and fruitless-nay, that it is impoffible-nor fhall I fcruple the afsertion, harsh as it may found, that he who is not a Christian, is virtually, though not nominally, an atheist-and that to believe in God and in Chrift is one infeparable act of faith; is indeed only one operation of the mind--which, if we allow not that Christ is

God, can never take place; and therefore the acknowledgement of our blessed Saviour's divinity, in which alone our hope of everlasting joy is founded, will be the glorious refult of our enquiries.' P. 230.

These extracts fufficiently fhow the temper of the writer: a temper which cannot be productive of the Christian love defcribed by St. Paul, whether its effufions proceed from the pulpit or the closet. We fhall only make one other remark, intimating that his dogmatical affertions, unattended by any extraordinary graces of ftyle or of compofition, will be treated with ridicule by the infidels, and must be disgusting to every one who has a tafte for the true eloquence of the pulpit.

A General View of the State of Portugal; containing a Topographical Defcription thereof. In which are included, an Account of the Phyfical and Moral State of the Kingdom; together with Obfervations on the Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral Productions of its Colonies. The Whole compiled from the best Portuguese Writers, and from Notices obtained in the Country, by James Murphy. Illuftrated with Plates. 4to. 11. 7s. Boards. Cadell and Davies. 1798.

NOTWITHSTANDING the long and intimate connexion, both political and commercial, between the British and Portuguese nations, the ftate of Portugal is very imperfectly known to our countrymen. Many volumes have, indeed, been published upon the subject by different travellers; but the accounts given by thefe writers are fuperficial and inaccurate. Even the natives have not been fo ftudious of complete exploration as they might be expected to have been; but their statements are more likely to be authentic than the reports of occafional vifitants of a part of their country, or the intimations of general geographers. We are therefore pleased with the appearance of fuch a work as the prefent; for it is calculated to extend our knowledge of an interefting country, by a reference to the beft fources of information.

Senfible of the inadequacy of the hafty fketches of travellers to the communication of full and fatisfactory intelligence, Mr. Murphy was not content with publishing the memoranda of his tour in Portugal*, but was eager to undertake the tafk of compiling, from the works of natives, a more faithful and complete account of that kingdom than the English had before feen in their language.

*For a review of his Travels, fee our XVth Vol. New Arr. p. 364.

6

The work confifts of thirty chapters, devoted to different objects. The three firft treat of the fituation, provincial divifions, and principal mountains. The country between the Douro and the Minho is the most populous, though the leaft extenfive, of the fix provinces. Its inhabitants are hardy, induftrious, and enterprifing; and, next to Algarve, it furnishes the best foldiers.' The province of Tras-os-Montes is the most mountainous part of the kingdom; and the people are reprefented as rude and clownith." Beira and Eftremadura are bleffed with a very fertile foil, and a falubrious air; but the former is ill-cultivated. Alentejo is ill-peopled; but the territory is fruitful. The corn and fruits of Algarve are excellent; and its fisheries are very productive.-The chief mountains of Portugal are the Arrabida, Eftrella, Montejunto, and Offa. Cintra, near Lisbon, is well known to navigators, as being the moft wefterly part of all Europe'of the continent of Europe, Mr. Murphy fhould have faid.

After an account of the four principal rivers, for which Portugal is indebted to Spain, mineral waters form the fubject of a diftinct chapter. The moft celebrated of these springs are the Caldas da Rainha, which

have been much frequented of late years by valetudinarians, not only from the different provinces of the kingdom, but also from foreign countries, particularly from Great Britain, all of whom are faid to have experienced their falutary effects. They are fituated in a small village named Caldas, in the province of Eftremadura, about 13 leagues north of the city of Lisbon.

The time is not exactly known when the virtues of these waters were first discovered, but it appears, from different veftiges of ancient baths found here, that they were frequented by the Romans when Lufitania was fubject to them. However that was, it is certain that from the beginning of the fifteenth century they have been held in great estimation. Queen Leonor, confort of king John II. moved with compaffion for the poor who reforted hither, founded, or rather rebuilt an hofpital for their reception in the year 1484, and hence they are called Caldas da Rainha, that is to fay, the queen's baths.

To the munificence of John V. these baths are indebted for the present hofpital, and many other improvements. The accommodation and comfort of the vifitants, however, do not as yet ap pear to be fufficiently provided for. Doctor Nunes Gago, who wrote a treatife on the waters of the Caldas, wishes there was a fund established to support a number of musicians, in order to recreate the patients during the time of their bathing, and drinking of the waters; he also recommends the establishment of places for their amufement and exercise.

The refpectable doctor above mentioned, on analizing these