opinion of either system from the writings of those who oppose it; and should not think themselves obliged to defend every position of those writers whose general opinion they approve.

In the wide scope for debate or discussion which this primary partition of the volume affords, we take no other part than to lament those impieties and those atrocious crimes, which, as persons acquainted with ecclesiastical history too well know, have been occasioned by subtle distinctions and metaphysical discrimination ;-impieties and crimes sufficient to testify that, whatever other title the principal actors might bear, they could have no claim to the sacred name or character of Christians!

Paft II. gives a view of the constitution of the church of Scotland, distributed into seven sections; and here a short and cool survey is taken of subjects so often contested, viz. the connection between church and state; religious establishments; and religious toleration.' Dr. Hill favours them all;-though a steady advocate for presbytery, as sanctioned in his opinion by reason and scripture, he appears to admit that episcopacy and its attendants may be most suitable to the English church: but at the same time he hails the 'glorious revolution, which extended its influence to the connection between the church and the state.' He adds, the law, both in England and Scotland, takes under its protection all places where Dissenters of any description assemble for worship; and Christians are understood to be accountable for their interpretation of Scripture, and their mode of worship, only to him who is Lord of conscience. However partial he may be to the form and discipline of that establishment with which he is directly connected, we find him acknowleging in the next chapter, which considers the general principles of Prebyterian government,' that no certain and positive directions are furnished in the Scripture as to the external constitution or model of a Christian church: but, instead of following one uniform course, the apostles accommodated their establishments, (for such, improperly enough, perhaps, they are termed,) to the local circumstances, qualifications, &c. of different kinds, which presented themselves; and to remarks of this nature he adds,This liberty in regard to the forms of church government, which seems to be warranted by all that we know of the practice of the apostles, is agreeable to the genius of Christianity, and is essential to its character as an universal religion.'

The five other sections in this division are employed on the following subjects; Manner in which ministers are admitted into the church of Scotland; Judicatories which compose its constitution; Distribution of power among those judi

catories;

catories; Objects of the judicial power of the church; Provi sion made by the state for the church of Scotland.'-These topics are represented in an easy manner, so as to appear to general readers fair, reasonable, and useful; and such in some respects they are, but they leave room for considerable argument and objection. We shall not renew the debate, which not many years ago employed several masterly pens, together with some of a different description.-After an account of the admission of ministers, Dr. Hill observes, with apparent satis faction, In this manner does the constitution of the church of Scotland preserve the rights of the church, of the patron, and of the people; and from the union of the three, in the settlement of vacant parishes, there is every security which the nature of the case admits, that no minister shall enter into this church who is deficient in essential qualifications, and who may not hope by the blessing of God on his assiduous labours to ren der himself acceptable and useful to those over whom the Holy Ghost hath made him an overseer.'

It appears to us that the author exposes himself to some animadversion, when he speaks of Protestant churches as deriving, or thinking that they derive, from the example and directions of the apostles, a clear warrant to regard unsound doctrine as an object of the judicial power of the church; , which might possibly be granted, could they undoubtedly prove that they were possessed of those miraculous powers and extraordinary gifts that were imparted, for wise reasons, to the very early Christians. He next, with seeming approbation, remarks that they (i.e. the church,) sometimes proceed to inflict the highest censures on those who are guilty of beresy but what this same heresy is, he does not so clearly and satisfactorily distinguish as might be desired; though he does indeed say that, as a legitimate object of church censure, it denotes, not the entertainment of a false opinion in the mind, but the publication of that opinion by discourse, or by writing, and farther must respect some fundamental and pernicious error.'-We incline to apprehend that the Scriptures include in the idea of heresy, a perversity or depravity of mind, in order to constitute its criminality. Unity of faith, the Doctor appears to regard as essential to the church of Christ, and therefore he censures those whom he calls Arminians, who, framing their creeds in the most ambiguous terms, represent fraternal charity as a sufficient bond of union amidst all possible diversity of theological opinions; and he adds respecting the Scottish church, we are unwilling to charge with heresy those who readily subscribe to the great doctrines which are plainly taught in Scripture, although they do not admit the

4

justness

justness of all the explications, distinctions, and reasonings, which have been employed in the statement of those doctrines. There is great respect due to the diversities of understanding and of education; to the freedom which every man of research claims, to a certain degree, as his right; even to the wanderings of a speculative mind: and the divine simplicity with which the truths, characteristical of the gospel, are there proposed, seems intended to leave room for those who "judge of themselves what is right," to differ in their mode of conceiving the truths, while they unite with cordiality in defending them.' This is certainly good, so far as it goes: but some readers will incline to wish that the author, having advanced to this point, had proceeded a little beyond it. Numbers there are, who would cordially unite in defending the cause of Christianity, but who could not, with satisfaction, subscribe all the dogmata, or return affirmative answers to all the questions, which establish ments may peremptorily maintain.

The third division of the volume offers Counsels respecting the public and private duties of the pastoral office.' Here we can do little more than detail the titles of each section. Public prayer; Administration of the Sacraments; Lecturing; Doctrinal part of preaching; Subjects of preaching; Diligence in the composition of sermons; Imitation; Peculiarities of the preacher's genius; Personalities in sermons; Delivery; Private duties of the pastoral office; Character which becomes the ministers of the gospel.'-Dr. Hill speaks handsomely of the English establishment, but it may be fairly presumed that he gives a preference to that with which he is himself connected. Thus, on the subject of public prayer, he remarks:

The church of Scotland, in adopting a Directory instead of a Liturgy, considers its ministers as men of understanding, of taste, and of sentiment, capable of thinking for themselves, who, without being confined to the repetition of a lesson that has been composed for them, may be permitted to exercise their talents, with a becoming dependance on Divine aid, in the sacred and important office of leading the devotions of Christian worshippers;-in committing to them this office, it not only warns the person who presides to maintain that grave, devout, and unaffected manner, the want of which is disgraceful to himself, and will probably disturb the devotions of others; but charges him also, as the minister of a reasonable service, in which the understandings and the hearts of the congregation are supposed to join, to employ the greatest care in arranging his thoughts and selecting his expressions, that every word which he utters may correspond to the sentiments which ought to pervade a Christian assembly.'

In the section on the sacraments, we had expected some short account of the Scotch method of attending and administering the Lord's supper; which, according to the relations made by occasional spectators, seems to include something pecuREV. DEC. 1804.

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liar:

liar: but Dr. Hill, having mentioned the danger which a change in the public services of religion creates, of unhinging the principles and disturbing the minds of those who do not discern the reasons of the change, only adds that Ministers act more wisely, and more conformably to the true spirit of the gospel, by adhering to the mode of administering the sacra ments which prevails in their neighbourhood, and by employing their talents and exertions in rendering that mode subservient to the great end of cherishing good impressions, and promoting practical godliness.' However suitable this may be to the subject immediately proposed, yet, had such reasoning always prevailed, we might have been left at this day to the absurdities of transubstantiation, and to many arbitrary and painful impositions.

Which of the two British churches has on the whole the advantage, is a question which we will not undertake to decide: respecting temporal emoluments, that of England must be allowed a superiority; though the greater equality observable in Scotland has doubtless some recommendations. Dr.Hill does not fail to notice the protection of government, the countenance of authority, and that independence,' which are enjoyed by a national establishment. The practical reflections are impressive, encouraging, and likely to be useful. The language is in general clear, easy, and agreeable: though we have met with more Scotticisms, or words rather unusual to an English ear, than we should have expected from the learned and attentive professor but for this a very reasonable allowance may be made.

ART XI. The Progress of Maritime Discovery, from the earliest Period to the Close of the Eighteenth Century, forming an exten sive System of Hydrography. By James Stanier Clarke, F.R.S. Domestic Chaplain to the Prince, and Vicar of Preston.

pp. 1000.

4to.

With Plates and Vignettes, and a separate Atlas. 31. Ss. Boards. Cadell and Davies. 1803.

RECENT Occasion called us to remark on the interest and A importance of researches into maritime discovery, and on the peculiar attractions of that study to the inhabitants of the British Islands; who have already acquired such eminent fame in this path of enterprize, and whose political ascendancy so obviously depends on their superiority in all that relates to naval pursuits. Our attention is now again required to a publication of a similar nature, but embracing a wider and indeed a formidably comprehensive range. The gentleman who has ventured on this almost boundless track is already known by several publications, which evince his attachment to marine af

Hi.

fairs; and the personal knowlege which he has acquired, and the connections which he has formed, in his situation as a naval chaplain, give him advantages which an individual of his profession might not otherwise possess. Indeed, the large store of information here collected is creditable in a great degree to the industry of the author, and intitles him to the warm acknowlegements of a British public. After so much application, however, had been employed in amassing, we wish that due care had been taken to select and arrange; that the operation of digesting, and the arts of pruning and condensing, had not been entirely neglected; and that the utmost attention had been bestowed in preserving accuracy and correctness. From the omission of these duties, the volume wants unity of design, and uniformity of tenor; hence the first sections of the introduction consist almost entirely of irrelevant matter; and when we arrive at the work, we find it sometimes a history, sometimes an abridgement, and occasionally a mere republication of former tracts.

It is to be lamented that the author did not recollect that at no time was the adage more true than at the present, μɛya βιβλιον, μέγα κακον. The practice of giving a costly form to productions which have not correspondent merit is become a growing and a crying evil, which we feel ourselves obliged to notice; and which we conceive to be a practice as injurious to literature, as it is opposite to fair dealing. We the rather make this observation in an instance in which both the author and the publishers are above the suspicion of any improper motives; and we throw it out as a hint to others, in the hope that it will not be lost on them. We must also complain of another indication of the haste with which the present work was com. piled. Most of the voluminous notes which it contains, and which display a diligence of research that is truly commendable, are drawn up in a confused and obscure manner. While, however, duty compels us to pass these strictures on this performance as far as finishing is concerned, we render it no more than justice when we state that, in regard to materials, it lays claim to considerable merit; that if, as a literary production, it shuns criticism, as a repository of curious and valuable information it challenges attention and praise.

In the early part of the introduction, we meet with matter which in general, as we have already said, is but little more interesting than it is relevant. Having discussed the construction and capacity of Noah's ark, the author subjoins this remarkable

account:

About the middle of the seventeenth century, Peter Janson, a Dutch merchant, caused a ship to be built answering in its respective proportions to those of Noah's Ark. At first this Ark was looked upon as a fanatical vision of Janson's, who was by profession a MenoDd2

nist