others, but all of them, undoubtedly, of great moment to decide the points in difpute between M. De Luc and the Huttonians.

It is exceedingly curious, merely to be put in poffeffion of the facts and phænomena neceffary to be examined for thefe purposes; as they ferve to fhow how critical, and how philofophical an eye is requifite, in order to entitle a perfon to determine with any fort of authority, the events which have taken place, or may reafonably be fuppofed to have taken place in the body of the earth. The fall and rufh of water, for inflance, may eafily be fuppofed to have occafioned fome of the boldeft features on the face of the earth, but the fallacy of such fuppofitions may, by many circumftances, be demonftrated, when we feek to verify the fact by local obfervations. Many of these events feem clearly to have been affumed by other theorifts, not only without fufficient data to fupport them, but in plain contradiction to, and defiance of, exifting phænomena.

Befides the diftinct heads to which this work is reduced, as mentioned before, M. De Luc gives us a ftill fhorter fummary of his views at page 110, which we fhall transcribe: his obfervations, he tells us, will be calculated to prove the four following points.

"I. The catastrophes of which evident marks are impreffed on the mafs of our Continents, by the vallies among mountains, the cavities of lakes, and the disturbed fituation of the ftrata in the irregular skirts of thefe Continents, took place at different periods, while our prefent land till constituted the bed of the fea.

II. The birth of these Continents was produced by the fubfidence of others, over which the fea flowed, abandoning its antient bed..

"III. Since that great revolution on our globe, the level of the fea has never changed.

"IV. From the known operations of caufes of every clafs upon thefe Continents fince their birth, it is certain that they cannot have existed a great many ages."

These are the pofitions by which M. De Luc undertakes to fatisfy every unprejudiced obferver, that we are not authorifed by geological monuments to difcard, as fome have pretended, the only written hiftory of the earth and of mankind which now exists.

To flate the facts adduced by M. De Luc with any tolerable effect, would be to tranfcribe the whole book. It is impoffible to enter into the detail of his very curious remarks; to have a proper idea of them, it is as neceffary to confult the book itself, as it is also necessary to visit the fame

places

places to verify the actual facts. We can only fay, that the extreme care and indefatigable induftry of M. De Luc, in fo very advanced a stage of life, have greatly excited our astonishment, and muft ferve to convince every one of the warmth of his zeal, in upholding the great cause he undertakes to vindicate. We fhall wait with impatience for the further continuation and completion of his researches. It is not proper, however, to conclude our review without giving fome sketch of the particular tour and researches recorded in this volume.

The author fets out from Berlin, the capital of the Pruffian dominions, and proceeds through Brandenburg, and the Dutchies of Mecklenburg, Holftein, and Schelfwig, to Hufum. In this tour are many lakes, and fome portion of fea-coaft; and the author's object is to fhow, from a moft minute examination of both, what has been the probable caufe, course, and progrefs of existing phænomena. The blocks of Granite, and other fubftances, to be found on the borders of the fea, he concludes, not to have been tranfported thither by the flow of rivers from the Continents, as the Huttonians would maintain, but to have fallen into the fea, in confequence only of the degradation of the cliffs which originally contained them. This is an important point to be fettled, in regard to the Huttonian hypothefis of the excavation of vallies. These blocks, inftead of being found at the mouths of vallies, which should be the cafe, according to the Huttonian theory are, on the contrary, almost universally found under cliffs. M. De Luc produces very ftrong facts also, to prove that it is a notion altogether fanciful, that the level of the Baltic has been gradually lowering. His observations to this effect, made in the Ifland of Poel, near Wismar, in the Dutchy of Mecklenburg are certainly very curious, and richly deinand the clofeft attention of geologifts. Indeed M. De Luc feems to us to have fucceeded completely in collecting facts, which plainly contradict the action and effects affigned by the Huttonians, to the waters of the fea and of the Continent; and which, inftead of appearing to have been the fole caufes of the excavations, and bold features of the face of the globe, feem evidently to have been contributing, during a certain feries of years, to foften and efface the original irregularities,

The whole purport of the learned author's remarks is indeed to this effect, though conftantly with a view alfo to corroborate his general affertion, with refpect to the operation of exifting caufes, namely, that in many moft effential points, the courfe and duration of fuch operations, are still fo plainly to be traced, as to enable the naturalift to align a pro.

bable

bable æra of their commencement, and by means of this to afcertain the data of the prefent Continents, which, if they conftituted the bottom of the fea previous to the deluge, as M. De Luc fuppofes, were by that catastrophe in particular, firft delivered over to man, and firft fubjected to the action of fuch caufes.

It is difficult to do juftice to a work of this nature, so full of detail, and where fo many facts are adduced in proof of the fame point, by fo fummary an account as our limits compel us to adopt, but we truft we fhall fufficiently dif charge our duty to the public, by declaring that the conclufions drawn by M. De Luc, as well in confirmation of his own hypothefis as in refutation of his opponents, feem to us to flow regularly from the data and facts which he has been at the pains to collect.

ART. VI. A Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Diocefe of London, by John, Lord Bishop of that Diocefe, at his primary Vifitation in 1810. Publifhed at the Request of the Clergy. Svo. 22 pp. 1s. 6d. Rivingtons. 18.10.

THIS Charge is diftinguished by the mafculine fenfe

and found principles, which have characterized every other production of his Lordship's pen. Defpifing the ornaments of a meretricious eloquence, which, though it delights many an ear, is fometimes employed to conceal barrenness of fentiment, the Bifhop of London enters at once, and without ceremony, on matters which come home to every Clergyman's business and bofom.

After affigning the reason, and a most important reason it is, for calling the Clergy of his Diocefe together, without, affording to them what fome might confider as fufficient notice, be pays a handfome compliment, and in the handsomeft manner, to his predeceffor's attention to the caufe of religion and the duties of his ftation. He then proceeds directly to fuch confiderations as the prefent ftate of the Church at large, and of the Diocefe of London in particular, feems to require; apologizing for fuch things, if he should fall upon any fuch, as might feem lefs appropriate than they fhould be, by the fhort period of his acquaintance with the state of the Diocefe. In adverting to the prefent ftate of our Church and his own Diocefe, he truly obferves, that it is impofLible not to combine it with that of the whole nation, and

even of Europe. This leads him to speak very briefly of the convulfed ftate of the European nations, and of the comparative happiness of Britons, who have been fpec tators, rather than partakers, of the mifchief which has devaftated the rest of Europe. Then animadverting with just feverity on the conduct of those who, as if not convinced by the example before them, that exceffive liberty has a natural tendency to end in extreme defpotism, still agitate the public, he adds,

For ourselves, alone preferved amidst the general wreck, and not only preserved, but raised to an unrivalled and unexampled profperity in commerce and naval glory, it should feem that we might be contented, and even proud of our lot. If the preffure of the times has been, and still is, great upon us, and has caufed many fevere exactions, and rigorous laws, and many a bitter domeftic lofs, all which is not to be diffembled, we fhould confider not fo much what we once were, before thefe days of trouble and calamity and protracted war, as what others are now. We

hould then fee and feel by comparison the value of the bleffings which remain to us, in the immunity from domeftic war, the fecurity of our lives and property, the enjoyment of a free government, equal justice, and uninterrupted commerce, private and public."

The Bishop then traces the difcontent which, notwithtanding thefe undeferved bleffings, by which the people of this land are diftinguished from all the nations around them, ftill prevail among us, to its various fources; pointing out the means by which the parochial Clergy may, without deferting their proper fphere or character, contribute to heal fuch diftractions: and to enforce the conduct which he recommends for this purpose, he adds that,

"The duty of the Clergy is the more concerned in this, be. aufe the fame general revolution has caufed, and in return receives increase from, the errors in religion which have arifen. These alfo have a share in our distractions. The infidelity which was ftudioufly propagated at the beginning of thefe troubles, though it has fince declined, and never had many followers compacted into any formidable body *, yet has contributed

We have fome doubt of the truth of this obfervation, though we earnestly wish that it were true. Such impious fcenes were, at the beginning of the troubles, acted among the lower orders of the people in fome parts of this ifland, as could have been produced only by a body of infidels compacted, as the French Encyclopædifts were compacted, for the purpofe of eradicating

from

contributed to unfettle the minds of many, and to incline them to a dangerous licentioufnefs of opinion, or indifference in religion. The extreme into which others have run, shocked at this growing evil, has been equally prejudicial to fober and found religion. Men have fought for feparation, when the circumftances required the ftricteft union; and to rebuild the fhaken, faith of Chriftians on the fluctuating basis of enthusiasm ; and to heal the wounds which Christian obedience had received from corruption of mind, profligacy of manners, and viciousness of life, not by the evangelical doctrine of grace and repentance, as the Gospel teaches, but by new and unheard of converfions, the inventions of men of heated imaginations or ambitious views. They have bewildered themfelves and their followers in the myfteries and depths of Calvinifm; in diftruft or contempt of the fimplicity of the Gofpel, Hence has there been engendered a new fchifm, halting between the Church and diffenfion from it, which, whilft it profeffes to follow the purity of our Church, or even to refine upon it, is continually undermining the establishment, and acts alfo occafionally at the head of the moft difcordant fects in oppofition to it. By nothing more than this has the peace and credit of our Church been difturbed, whilft the most refpectable minifters, if they enlift not themfelves under this fect, are vilified by the uncharitable reflections and arrogant preten fions of thefe new Puritans. Nothing more than this has contributed, in aid of other civil caufes, to shake the just subor. dination of ranks amongft us; whilft it exalts the meanest and moft ignorant of men into a fpiritual fuperiority; teaches them to defpife others, and to draw around them a train of fol lowers as ignorant as themfelves. Add to this, that the notions of fudden converfion, abfolute election, and the utter inefficiency of our own exertions and righteoufnefs (whatever they be of themselves, as I hold them to be most unfcriptural) are certainly not the means of producing Chriftian innocence and fimplicity of life, but contain within them the feeds of pride, fe paration, diffenfion, and mutual animofity; and for that reafon, if for no other, are justly to be fufpected. Speculative persons, on the deep things of these queftions, as deep things there are, may lean to the one or other fide without blame, and perhaps without danger; but the gofpel to be preached to the poor, is not of this guife or fort."

from the public mind the first principles of revealed religion. Even at this day literary journals, which, whatever be the intention of their authors, tend to the fame end, are widely circulated and very generally read; and literary journals.cannot be regularly conducted but by a compact body of men of letters. We believe, however, with the Bishop, that the fpirit of infidelity is not now so prevalent as it was seventeen years ago. Rev.