Though we differ from this author on thefe points, and on others which we have not mentioned; though we think many of his doctrines, which might lead to good if difcuffed in an affembly of grave and informed men, might produce much mischief when thus thrown out to the world, to be picked up by thofe whom education has not qualified fo to understand them, as that their meaning and drift should not be perverted; ftill we must represent him as a very able writer, poffeffing much information, great powers of reafoning and of eloquence, an energetic and pure ftyle, and a clear and cool head: but his heart is too warm, and his language is, in many places, too impaffioned, to warrant his adoption of the fignature-A STOIC. If we judge rightly, a Stoic is more capable of reafoning than of feeling; our author is capable of both in an eminent degree. Art. 28. Obfervations on the National Character of the Dutch, and the Family Character of the Houfe of Orange: along with the Motives they have to defend their Country at this Time, against French Invafion. By Robert Walker, F.R. S. Senior Minifler of Canongate, &c. 8vo. Is. Edinburgh, Creech; London, Kay. 1794. This well-written pamphlet gives a concife view of the national character of the Dutch, of the conftitution of their government, civil and ecclefiaftical, and of the prefent ftate of parties in Holland; together with an eftimate of the confequences to be expected from the French invafion of that country. Mr.W.'s decifion on the ground of probability is clearly against the invaders: but their fuccefsful progrefs, fince this tract was written, feems to bear very hardly on fome of his conclufions. This publication will be generally deemed what is called minifierial, as it is evidently calculated to keep up the fpirits of honest John Bull, and to encourage him to perfevere in the defence of the United Provinces, in order to fave them from being over-run by the French republicans, and to prevent their government from being fubjected to the influence of fuch formidable and turbulent neighbours: the confequence of which may prove extremely unfavourable to the interests of Great Britain. As Falstaffe faid" Wou'd it were bed-time, Hal, and all were well." Art. 29. Obfervations on the Corporation and Teft Alts, in a Letter to a Friend: wherein is fully proved that no Diffenter from the Etablished Church can be admitted into any Office where the Telt is required by Law as a Qualification, fuch Diffenter being inad. miffible, though he demand the Sacrament on any Occafion whatever. To which is prefixed a Short Addrefs to the Junior Council of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham. By Charles Heathcote, Gentleman. 8vo. pp. 63. 25. Payne. 1794. The crime of fchifm appears to be ranked, in this author's moral catalogue, among the unpardonable fins. The general body of the Diffenters are by him branded as inimical to kingly government; and he speaks of fome of their most refpectable minifters, by name, with a degree of contempt which is wholly unbecoming a gentleman,' and without bringing forward any fpecific charge against them, which can can at all amount to a proof of difloyalty, and in defiance of innumerable well known facts on the contrary fide. Mr. G. Wakefield, though not a diffenter, for his humane and meritorious exertions to obtain relief for two women, whom the rigour of the spiritual court many years ago fentenced, on a point of confcience, to perpetual imprifonment, is branded with the opprobrious appellations of infolent and fcurrilous; and it is prefumptuously enough afferted that, though he pretended to have efpoufed their caufe for the fake of religion and confcience, he was, alas! evidently actuated by very different motives. On the queftion concerning the repeal of the corporation and test acts, we find nothing advanced in this pamphlet which, after the full difcuffion that this fubject has formerly undergone, can deserve a moment's attention. Againft reformation Mr. H. declaims with great vehemence, but very inconfiftently. At one time, he is not politician enough to determine whether a reform in parliament would or would not be in any degree ferviceable; and at another, fpeaking of the spiritual courts, he owns that many of their conftitutions are much difliked, and fome of them, if they could be, one might well enough with expunged:' yet he gives his decided opinion that the plea for reform, however plaufible, is altogether chimerical; and he afferts that the idea of the neceffity of a reform in these people, arifes folely from a total ignorance of the principles of the conftitution.' It is late in the evening, and we find ourselves rather sleepy; Mr. Heathcote, we wish you a very good night! MEDICA L. Art. 30. A Treatise on the Errors and Defects of Medical Education: in which are contained Obfervations on the Means of correcting them. By Thomas Withers, M. D. Phyfician to the York County Hospital. 8vo. pp. 134. 25. Dilly, &c. The title of this pamphlet would probably give an erroneous idea of its contents; fince its fubject is not fo much the exifting defects in the prefent mode of conducting medical education, as a general sketch of what the writer conceives to be the best plan on which it can be conducted. His obfervations on this head are fuch as would naturally offer themselves to a man of fenfe and liberal principles, who should bestow any attention on the fubject. Of course, they must in general appear fomewhat trite and fuperficial; nor do we difcern any thing in the manner of expreffing them that renders them peculiarly interefting. In fact, the deftination for a profeffion, and the mode of preparing a perfon for it, are subjected fo much to particular confiderasions refpecting every individual, that very little advantage can be derived from general directions, which, as far as they are of univerfal application, are fufficiently obvious. Art. 31. The Clinical Guide; or a concife View of the leading Facts » on the Hiftory, Nature, and Cure of Difeafes; to which is fubjoined a Pharmacopoeia, in three Parts, viz. Materia Medica, Claffification, and Extemporaneous Prefcription. Intended as a Memorandum Book for young Practitioners, particularly the Students of Medicine in their first Attendance at the Hofpital. By William Nisbet, M. D. Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh. 12mo. pp. 180. 45. Boards. Kay. 1793. REV. Nov, 1794. The 338 The copious title page of this work will give fufficient informatio with respect to its general plan. It pretends to a fuperiority over other medical compendiums on account of a more fcientific arrangement. The four claffes, into which difeafes are here divided, are the inflammatory, nervous, cachectic, and complicated. Inflammator fever is included in the first, nervous in the fecond, and putrid in the third. So much for the advantages of arrangement! Of the practice to be learned by a compendium, an idea may be formed from the remark that the cure of the fmall-pox depends on the general principles of the antiphlogistic plan--and that, where putrid fymptoms appear, bark and wine will be properly employed.' Art. 32. Rules for recovering Perfons recently drowned, in a Letter to the Rev. George Rogers. 8vo. 6d. Longman, &c. This pamphlet contains a judicious ftatement of the best means to be used for the recovery of perfons apparently drowned: the author has introduced into it the latest difcoveries on the fubject, and has pointed out certain parts of the ufual practice, fuch as great toffing and agitation of the body, rubbing before the lungs are inflated, injections of tobacco-glyfters, &c. as being always very prejudicial and occafionally even preventing a recovery. We ftrongly recommend the diftribation of this little work; and, as some of the errors noticed by our author are to be found in the printed directions of the Humane Societies, (fome of which have been published many years ago,) we doubt not that the managers of thofe ufeful inftitutions will fee the priety of correcting thele important miftakes, which we think might be best done by printing and diftributing that short portion of this pamphlet which contains a fummary of the whole in eleven rules. ANTIQUITIES. pro Art. 33. Account of a rich illuminated Miffal executed for John Duke This account of a moft curious Miffa! is remarkably well drawn up, and fets in a ftrong point of view the ufelefs induftry of fuperftition. AMERICA. 2s. 6d. Art. 34. The American Calendar, or United States Regifter, for the 7 the the laws, the police, and the public inftitutions of this rifing empire,-. the knowlege of which we could not otherwise have eafily obtained. THEOLOGY and POLEMICS. Art. 35. An Examination of the Age of Reafon, or an Investigation of true and fabulous Theology, by Thomas Paine. By Gilbert Wakefield, B. A. 8vo. PP. 58. 1s. 6d. Kearsley. 1794. Among the feveral writers who have already attacked the "Age of Reafon," Mr. Wakefield is entitled to the firit notice, as having been the earlieft within the lifts, to measure lances with this arch deift. So far from wishing to treat Mr.Paine and his works with filent contempt, and to answer his reprefentations and arguments by configuing them to the flames, he invites the friends of truth to an examination of that writer's laft publication, by pronouncing it deferving of peculiar confideration,, from the known intellectual vigor of the author, and from the circumftance of its having been compofed in the folitude of a prifon, and under the apprehenfion of a violent death. He feems alfo to be of opinion that this pamphlet will eventually promote the cause of real Chriftianity, inasmuch as difcuffion must neceffarily tend to frengthen Truth, and to make her more illuftrious; and he enters on the examination of it not with an arrogant prefumption of fuperior knowlege, but with a confidence in the goodness of his caufe, and with a confcioufnefs of having taken up the pen from the purest motives: The time, (fays he,) is come, when all our opinions must be tried at the touchstone of fevere enquiry; and, if the Jewish and Chriftian Revelations cannot fupport themselves against the batteries of their affailants, in the eftimation of capable and difinterefted judges, the out-posts must be abandoned; and a retreat fecured to the fortreffes of deifm, already occupied by the patriarchs of old, and the illuftrious philofophers of later times. The fway of creeds and councils, of hierarchies and churches, whether Proteftant or Popish, over the bodies and confciences of men, is diminishing apace; and the temple of revelation, deprived of the mouldering props, which prieftcraft, and tyranny, and fuperftition had framed for its fupport, mult repofe folely on its proper bafis, the adamant of TRUTH.' From fuch an exordium, it is eafy to perceive that Mr. W.'s defence of Christianity will not be approved by the great majority of Christians. No doubt he will be cenfured for having conceded too much, for having abandoned what was capable of defence; and perhaps his Christianity will be called, by fome, Deifm in disguise :opinion to which we cannot fubfcribe. -an The contest between Mr. P. and Mr. W. does not immediately commence. For a little time they appear rather as friends than as difputants. To fome of the first articles of Paine's creed, his examiner is not contented with giving, an unqualified affent: he fanctions them by his praife. After a few pages, however, his approbation confes; and he affumes the mien and tone of an adverfary. As foon as Mr. P. attacks revealed religion and the authority of the fcriptures, Mr W. pronounces him frivolous and erroneous, weak and abfurd. He indeed proves him to be fo; and, though his examination was probably written in hafte, it is compofed with fpirit, and the advocate for Deifm is combated on his own ground with fuccefs. Mr.W.'s remarks in behalf of revelation, in oppofition to what has been infinuated against its credibility, demand the attention of every deist: The fyftem of Jefus Chrift proceeds upon the very fuppofition here inftituted, that "the way to God is open to every man alike;" as might be proved by many paffages in the Chriftian Scriptures. What the Jews and Chriftians maintain in behalf of their respective systems, is that their founders delivered to mankind rational fentiments of the Divine nature, of his exiftence, and his providential government of the world, at a time, when ignorance and depravation, with respect to these fundamental canons of religious rectitude, were almost univerfally predominant. With relation to the writings of the Jews, it is altogether undeniable, and is a truth of the utmoft weight and magnitude, that our accumulated discoveries in fcience and philofophy, and all our progrefs in other parts of knowledge, has not enabled the wifeft of the moderns to excel the noble fentiments conveyed in the didactics and devotional compofitions of the Old Teftament; compofitions, many of which existed, without difpute, before the earliest writings of heathen antiquity, and at a period, when even those illuftrious inftructors of mankind, the Greeks and Romans, were barbarous and unknown. It would gratify me much, I confefs, to be informed in what manner the contemners of the Jews and of the Mofaic fyftem account for this fingular phænomenon: which indeed might be ftated.with abundantly more fullness and cogency, if it were neceffary on this occafion. Will Thomas Paine the deift, or any of our modern atheists, undertake the folution of this difficulty ?-Befides, let any man compare the fimple morality and the noble precepts of the Gofpel, as they relate to the attributes of God and the duties of humanity, with the monstrous theology, with the fubtleties and the contradictory schemes of contemporary moralifts, among the Greeks and Romans; (who neverthelefs had, in all probability, profited mediately or immediately by the Jervish fyftem, which could not exist without diffufing fome influence through the neighbourhood) and reflect at the fame time, that a perfect manual of morality may be collected from a few pages in the gofpel, but must be picked in Pagan writers from a multitude of dilcordant volumes, and a mafs of incoherency and abfurdity; and then condefcend to furnish us with an explanation of what must be allowed on all hands a furprifing fact; namely, the existence of fuch fuperior intelligence in a Jewish carpenter at Nazareth. So then, though we concede to Mr. Paine, that " the way to God was open to every man alike," we affirm of the Jewish and Chriftian difpenfations, that they only were this way to any man defirous of entertaining rational notions of God and human duty. Without the illumination, which has been diftributed through the world from thefe difpenfations, Thomas Paint, and other deifts of our own and fucceeding ages, who fancy themselves fo very philofophical and intelligent in their theology, would have known full as little of the matter, to speak with moderation, as much wifer heads than their's, among the illuftrious nations of antiquity, deprived of these advantages, fo much contemned and fo ungratefully enjoyed. The natural inference from these indubitable pofitions is clearly, fame degree of fupernatural communication, which we stile 5 Revelation, |