works, fuch paffages as cannot fail to be edifying to Chriftians of every denomination.

Mifs M. has claffed her felections under a moderate number of heads; and has rendered the original in pure and perfpicuous English. We cannot, however, fupprefs the opinion, that she would render an equal, if not a fuperior fervice to the public, iffhe would publish the fame collection of paffages alfo in the original French. Whatever may be the fidelity, or even elegance of a tranflation, there is more fatisfaction and more advantage to those who are capable of reading them, in having the very words of the author; efpecially when that author is diftinguished for a pure, elegant, and even eloquent ftyle in his own language. From the very high patronage announced in Mifs Marthail's lift of fubfcribers, we have no doubt that her talents are alfo greatly valued by those who can estimate them beft: nor do we mean in the flightest degree to depreciate her efforts, when we thus exprefs a wish to fee her originals collected. Both works might fell; both we have no doubt would fell; and neither of them the lefs for the exiftence of the other.

ART. 32. Earnest Contention for the True Faith. A Sermon preached at Scarborough, at the primary Vifitation of the most Reverend Edward, Lord Archbishop of York, July 28, 1809. By the Rev. Francis Wrangham, M. A. F. R.S. of Trinity College, Cambridge. Published at the Requeft of the Clergy, with the Approbation of his Grace. 4to. 51 pp. 35. 6d. Mawman, &c. 1809.

This is a difcourfe of confiderable merit, in which the author ftates very fully, and with much eloquence, his own ideas of the true faith: ideas which feem to us not only correct, but animated with the zeal and warmth of fincerity. His ftatements in oppo. fition to the Unitarians are particularly clear and ftrong; and the following view of their ftrange expedients to get rid of the -only real faith in Chrift, the belief in his divinity, is fuch as we are very glad to repeat in this place.

"If the fubject indeed were lefs awfully folemn in its bearings and confequences, it would not be unamufing to trace the various and occafionally conflicting expedients, by which the antagonists of this doctrine, ftaunch to the interefts of preconceived hypothefis, endeavoured to elude the force of fcriptural teftimony. One of them finding the epiftolary parts of the New Teftament unconquerably hoftile to his gratuitous theory, requires us to fift with jealous fcrutiny, as of fufpicious credibility, the evidence of Paul and Peter and James and John; although the first received his credentials by a moft fplendid commiffion from Heaven, and the three latter were conftantly felected by their Mafter, upon every more diftinct exhibition of himself, to bear witness of his Godhead. From fimilar motives, another explodes the introduc

tion of St. Matthew's and St. Luke's hiftories: a third decries the entire narrative of St. Mark: a fourth, with bolder hand and keener knife, cuts off three whole gofpels and eleven epiftles at once; and all of them, beside discarding what they choose to denominate minor interpolations, fubdue or foften refractory claufes in the fragments, which they ftill fuffer to remain-left they should have no gofpel at all!-by the difcovery of imagin ary orientalisms, or the application of crooked canons of criticifm; refine away paffages, which have commanded the venera tion, determined the belief, fanctified the practice, and ensured the happiness of the learned pious of eighteen centuries; detect Plato lurking under the garb of St. John; convict a comma of the heinous crime of patronifing orthodoxy; and, finally, attenu. ate the Author and Finisher of our faith into little more than the fhadow of a mighty name.'

P. 9.

Thefe and other parts of the difcourfe are illuftrated by learned notes. The author's abftract of the horrible doctrines of Calvin (as we cannot but call them) on the subject of election and reprobation, is ftriking and powerful in the greatest degree. (See p. 12, &c.) If the fermon was all pronounced it must have occupied a confiderable time. In the closet it will not be found too long.

ART. 33. A New Defence of the Holy Roman Church, against Heretics and Schifmatics. By the Author of Hora Solitaria. Second Edition. 12mo. 87 pp. 2s. 6d. Mathews and Leigh.

1810.

We will not infift that this tract is very properly placed under the title of Divinity; fince it contains neither enquiry nor difcuffion on any theological fubject, but, in fact, a fevere and bitter irony against the church which it pretends to fupport. The author affects to prove the fuperiority of the Romish Church by its own plea of miraculous porers, but felects for the purpose, fome of the most ridiculous legends by which its traditions are dif. graced he ftrikes at the old complaints of pardons and indul. gencies; and makes a purpofely fhallow defence of perfecution, under the name of difcipline. That his topics of cenfure are generally juft, we hold with the most entire confidence; but that his irony is fomewhat too open, and betrays itself too often by a coarfenefs of expreffion, we are obliged, as critics, to confefs.

ART. 34. A Sermon preached in the Parish Church of Saint Werberg, in Derby, on Sunday, December 16, 1810; in Confequence of the Death of the Reverend Jonathan Stubbs, M. A. By the Rev. Thomas Gisborne, M.A. Published by Defire. 8vo. 28 PP. Is. 6d. Cadell and Davies. We obferved lately that funeral eulogies are not very common

1811.

in the church, (Jan. p. 83) we have here however a remarkable instance of fuch a tribute, paid by a man of high eminence to a friend, who feems truly to have deferved the diftinction. Mr. Stubbs appears to have devoted himfelf to the duties of his profeffion with a zeal not to be exceeded. At the fame time, Mr. Gisborne, who knew him well, affures his hearers that there was nothing extravagant or intemperate in his zeal. While he had a cor dial refpet and regard for all, of whatever denomination, who love the Lord Jefus Chrift in fincerity, he was firmly attached to the Eftablishment, of which he was a minifter; and actively warned his congregation, not only in private, but from the pulpit, against thofe errors, into which he faw reafon to fear they might be drawn by perfons of a different perfuafion. His fober-mindednefs was so steady and fo ftriking, that it must be no common ig. norance which could have imputed to him extravagance or indif cretion." P. 19.

That fuch a parish-prieft fhould be cut off at the early age of thirty-feven, by an accident which occafioned a compound frac ture of his leg, was a ferious calamity to the parishes which he attended, and as it fhould feem to the caufe of religion: but the difcourfe of Mr. G. is very fitly and piously employed to inspire refignation, and to convince his auditors that "the ways of God' are not as our ways," nor his difpenfations to be measured by the imperfect feale of our feelings or opinions. He can at pleasure raife up labourers in his vineyard; and the exemplary life and death of one, thus made known to the world, may perhaps more extenfively operate than the perfonal labours of feveral.

ART. 35. The National Jubilee, celebrative of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Reign of George the Third, politically and morally improved. By a Magiftrate. 8vo. 74 PP. 2s. 6d. Mathews and Leigh. 18c9.

a Ma.

The work before us, though faid to be written by " giftrate" (who indeed might alfo be a Clergyman), is in the form of a fermon, having for its text, "Render therefore unto Cæfar the things which are Cæfar's, and unto God the things which are God's ;" and alfo ftating, that thofe to whom it was addreffed were then "affembled in the Temple of God." To the fentiments expreffed in it we have (* generally fpeaking) no objection. They breathe refpectful affection to the King and fervent piety towards God. Thefe, however, are not digested

*We fay generally, becaufe we have here and there obferved fome expreffions not wholly free from objection; more particu larly in what the author calls "an Apology," prefixed to the difcourfe; in which he indecoroufly compares, what he terms the public spirit of our Saviour with the public fpirit of ancient patriots, &c. though he certainly prefers the former,

metho

methodically, or brought to bear upon any particular point. The author deferves certainly every praife for patriotic fentiments and good intentions; but the declamatory ftyle of his work and the want of any arrangement of his matter, will, we apprehend, deter moft readers (Reviewers excepted) from a continued perufal of it.

ART. 36. The Origin of Naval Architecture: A Difcourfe accommodated to the General Faft. By Philopharos. 8vo. 52 pp. 1s. 6d. Mathews and Leigh. 1808.

Though this fermon has been fo long overlooked, there are fome things in it too good to be entirely laid afide. The origin of Naval Architecture, of course was the ark, and the author compares the fituation of the world before the flood, with that of the prefent race of men. Chrift, he says, is the ark of Christians; and from this comparifon he deduces eight leffons of great importance. He concludes with the picture of a "Chriftian gentleman," and a "Chriftian minifter," both well worthy of confideration. Though fome of the allegorical allufions may feem a little in the fectarian tafte, there is nothing in the difcourfe which indicates any but the genuine fpirit of Christianity; and the preacher thus defcribed might be a bishop, and indeed refembles fome that we have known in that ftation.

"His gefture in the pulpit is neither affected nor theatrical, much Jefs buffoonish and ludicrous; but fuch as becomes the Majefty of God, the facredness of the place, and the dignity of his office: neither is his language and ftyle that of tinfel rhetoric, or empty, bombaft, but plain, fimple, and powerful. His attachment to the oracles of God has no limits; though he pays all due regard to the books and helps of a fecondary clafs,, which may tend to enrich his mind with every useful science." P. 50.

We tranfcribe this, at the period when another fast has taken place, and we do it with the conviction, that the fermon before us, though anonymous, and in fome refpects fingular, is fit for any General Faft.

MISCELLANIES.

ART. 37. Mavor abbreviated, being an entirely new and complete Book of Short-hand. By I. H. Clive. 12mo. 78 pp. with Plates. 75. 6d. Crosby and Co.

The art of fhort-hand is fo convenient to the ftudent, and is attended with fo many advantages to perfons in different profefLions, that whatever may contribute to its improvement, to facilitate the attainment of it, and to make it more generally known, certainly claims commendation and encouragement.

The prefent treatife is evidently the production of one who has ftudied

X 4

ftudied the fubject, who feems well acquainted with what has al ready been done, and who, in general, has formed a correct opinion of what is yet wanting to the perfection of the art.

Whether the method here propofed, in the fame fimple charac ter reprefenting different letters, according to its fituation above or below a real or an imaginary line, be an improvement, may in deed be queftioned: but the want of characters for vowels, which occafionally may be connected; and expreffing the vowels by dots or commás only, as in Mavor's, Byrom's, and many other systems, we cannot approve. Vowels in the middle of words fcarcely ever need be written; but at the beginning and end of words they are often neceffary; and efpecially in fome monofyllables; and hence to exprefs a fingle word, or even a monofyllable, the pen must not unfrequently be lifted, and again put upon the paper.

We have not room to fay much on the fubject, but we shall take this opportunity of cautioning thofe, who attempt im, provements in short hand, against an error, into which the authors of moft of the fyftems now extant have fallen. We must remind

them, that it is not what appears moft fhort and fimple to the eye; but what the hand can moit quickly execute, that should be pre, ferred.

They will recollect, that as much time is occupied by the pen moving the fame space when off as when on the paper; and that whenever the pen is taken off, though but to make a dot, per. haps more time is spent in lifting it, carrying it over a certain fpace, and putting it on again, than would fuffice to write words of two or three fyllables. Could we draw a figure, reprefenting the motion of the pen, in its afcent, and defcent, and the fpace which it has traversed from and to the line in making a dot or comma, it would appear, that however short and fimple the dot or comma feem to the eye, that the pen had in reality described a complicate character.

To keep the writing lineal, compact, and connected, to avoid, as much poffible, taking the pen from the paper, should therefore be the study of every fhort-hand writer.

ART. 38. Geography Epitomized; or, a Companion to the Atlas, comprizing a Series of Lessons proper for the firft Course of Geographical Inftructions in Schools, with copious Examinations correfponding to the Leffons fo arranged, as to form at the fame Time a Series of amufing Geographical Games, also an Appendix, con taining fome eafy Inftructions and Problems relative to the prac tical Uje of Maps. By the Rev. R. Bullock, Bolton. 4to. Mawman. 6s. 1810.

Notwithstanding its great importance as a branch of feience, Geography has not, till of late years, received the facilities for the purposes of inftructing youth, which were obviously necessary. The Gazetteers of Salmon, Brookes, and others, were, it is true,

eminently