pulle. Peter, John, and Paul, are men; you and I are men; and so is the Jew, and fo is the Mahommedan. As well, then, may you give reason to man, and brand him for a fool, because he reasons, as brand with infamy the man who judges for himself in religion. The abfurdity is, in truth, too glaring; and yet almost all Chriftians are guilty of it. We all strive to faften an opprobrium upon those who think differently from ourselves; and thus prejudice becomes an overmatch for principle.

In every quarter our ears are dinned with the cry of impiety. In Afia, the Chriftian is impious; in Europe, the Muffulman; in London, the Papist; in Rome, the Calvinist: nay, almost every street has its peculiar fanctity and pretenfion. How is this? Is the whole world impious? or is there any fuch thing as impiety? I am afraid this mutual reproach is little better than fatire in felf-applaufe: and though the paradox is not in all cafes juft, we may venture to believe, that those who have the best laws have often the most need of them.

• The advocate for real Chriftianity has nothing to do with the peculiar tenets of Luther, Calvin, or Bellarmine, or with any other fyftem which is likely to be tinctured with human infirmity: his bufinefs is, to vindicate the truth as it is in the gofpel. Human knowledge, as human nature, he knows, is to be pruned according to method and rule. As the world advances, reafon at all times gains ground upon imagination; the understanding becomes more exercised; fewer objects occur that are new and surprising; men apply to trace the causes of things; and they correct and refine one another. And thus, in the prefent age, thanks to the Author of all goodness, we are beginning to make amends for former negligence. The curiofity of the moralift is connected with taste and genius; and his researches tend to display the progress of human manners, and to illuftrate the history of society.

The religious establishment, of any country, fo far as it is fettled by human laws, and with respect to external rites and worldly emolument, is liable to change, as much as any civil appointments whatever. So far was Locke from thinking the church interwoven with the state, that he held the former to be abfolutely separate and distinct from the latter. "The boundaries, on both fides," fays he, "are fixed and immoveable. And he jumbles heaven and earth together, things most remote and oppofite, who mixes two focieties which are, in their original, end, bufinefs, and every thing, perfectly distinct, and infinitely different from each other."

With refpect to what are called denominations, therefore, of religion, if every one be left to judge of his own religion, there is no fuch thing as a religion that is wrong. But if men are to judge of each other's religion, there is no fuch thing as a religion that is right; and therefore all the world are right, or all the world are wrong. No man, or body of men, confequently, can, under any pretence whatfoever, affume the power of governing, or forcing the belief, the thoughts, the reafon of others, without impiously and foolishly arrogating the power of God. Religion, as a rule of faith, by which we are to be faved or condemned in another life, must be the exclufive private concern of the individual, in which every man has an indis

E 2

putable

putable right to follow the light of his own reafon, and to reject all autho rity founded on the realon of others. Thole, accordingly, who denounce to us damnation, as the confequence of error in faith, and those whe would force us to hazard our immortal fouls, upon their judgments, who have no concern in the matter, contrary to our own realon, who have fo deep an intereft in it, are the most execrable of all tyrants.

Mankind have groaned, even in the church of Chrift, for more than a thousand years, under a fatal confederation between civil and ecclefiaftical power. By this contract for the bodies and fouls of men, the mind is first to be enflaved, and then the body delivered over to the fecular arm, with its active principle, the fpring of all its virtues and faculties, bound up in chains. From this complicated tyranny, even death is no refuge. Its power, in papal kingdoms more efpecially, extends into the reign of darknefs; the miferable mortal, who has not obeyed its ordinances here, who does not go to the grave clothed in the San Benito of their inquilition, and carry in his hand the paffport of absolution, is handed over to the agents of the hierarchy in another world, to the difcipline of eternal torments. But even our. own prefent mixture of religion with politics; our religious tefts, and parliamentary religions, would, I fufpect, appear fomewhat ludicrous to a perfon who could contemplate them unbiaffed by habit and cuftɔm. Is it not a curious idea, for inftance, that if a Solon, or a Socrates, were to rife up among us, the one could not fit for a Cornish borough, nor the other execute the office of juftice of peace; that Epaminondas could not command a troop of horfe, or Themiftocles be made a poft-captain, till they had made themselves masters of the thirty-nine articles previously to the taking the facramental

teft ?'

After having fo fully expreffed our approbation of this work, and having furnished our readers fo largely with an opportunity of judging of its merit, we have now only to express our earneft wish that it may be as ufeful in promoting the interefts of religion, and in propagating the love of fcience, as the author's benevolence will lead him to defire, and as his ability and públic fpirit give him a right to expect.

A copious alphabetical index would have been an ufeful appendage to these volumes.

ART. IX. Sermons, by Hugh Blair, D. D. F. R. S. Ed. Profeffor of Rhetoric and Belles Lettres in the University of Edinburgh. Vol. IV. Svo. PP. 445. 6s. Boards. Cadell. 1794. IT i T is an inexpreffible gratification and encouragement to us in our literary labours, when we find our judgment concerning the merit of important publications confirmed by the general fuffrage of the world. The intervals, which have palled between the times of the publication of the feveral volumes of Dr. Blair's fermons, have afforded us full opportunity of informing curfelves of the reception which they have experienced; and we

are

are happy in obferving that this has been fuch as to leave us no room to doubt that, in the liberal praife which we found ourfelves impelled fucceffively to beftow on them, we were folely guided by a juft perception of their merit.

To characterize the prefent volume as exhibiting excellent models of pulpit eloquence,-in which, fubjects of the highest importance are difcuffed neither with the frigidity of abtract fpeculation, nor difplayed in the falfe glare of puerile oratory, but are treated with that manly and impreffive eloquence which can only be the refult of the most happy union of good sense, correct tafle, a lively imagination, and a heart deeply tinctured with religious fentiments;-would be merely to repeat what we have expreffed more at large in our former articles: fee vol. Ivi. p. 278. vol. Ixii. p. 293. N. S. vol. iii. p. 190. 207.

Equally unneceffary is it, for the purpofe of recommending this volume, to felect paffages of particular merit, from difcourfes which are throughout fo deferving of commendation. That we may not feem, however, to treat this justly-admired writer with leis refpect now than on former occations, we shall make a thort extract from a fermon on Friendship; in which the author appears no less excellent in the plain didactic manner, than we have before feen him in the elegant, pathetic, and subJime. Giving advice for the prefervation of friendship, he fays,

In the third place, It is material to the prefervation of friendship, that openness of temper and manners, on both hands, be cultivated. Nothing more certainly diffolves friendship, than the jealoufy which arifes from darknefs and concealment. If your fituation oblige you to take a different fide from your friend, do it openly. Avow your conduct; avow your motives; as far as honour allows, difclose yourselves frankly; feek no cover from unneceffary and mysterious fecrecy. Mutual confidence is the foul of friendship. As foon as that is deftroyed, or even impaired, it is only a show of friendship that remains. What was once cordial intimacy, degenerates first into formal civility. Constraint on both fides next fucceeds; and difguft or hatred foon follows. The maxim that has been laid down by certain crooked politicians, to behave to a friend with the fame guarded caution as we would do to an enemy, because it is poffible that he may one day become fuch, difcovers a mind which never was made for the enjoyments of friendship. It is a maxim which, not unreafonably I admit, may find place in thofe political and party friendships, of which I betore fpoke, where perfonal advancement is always in view. But it is altogether inconfitent with the fpirit of thofe friendships, which are form? ed, and underflood to be nourished, by the heart.

The fourth advice which I give is, To cultivate, in all intercourse among friends, gentle and obliging manners. It is a common error to fuppofe, that familiar intimacy fuperfedes attention to the leffer duties of behaviour; and that, under the notion of freedom, it may excuse

a careless, or even a rough, demeanour, On the contrary, an intimate connection can only be kept up, by a conftant wish to be pleafing and agreeable. The nearer and closer that men are brought together, the more frequent that the points of contact between them become, there is the greater neceffity for the furface being smooth, and every thing being removed that can grate or offend.-Let no harshness, no appearance of neglect, no fupercilious affectation of fuperiority, occur in the intercourfe of friends. A tart reply, a proneness to rebuke, a captious and contradictious fpirit, are often known to embitter domestic life, and to fet friends at variance. In those smaller articles of behaviour, where men are too apt to be carelefs, and to indulge their humour without restraint, the real character is often understood to break forth, and fhew itself. It is by no means enough, that, in all matters of serious intereft, we think ourselves ready to prove the fincerity of our friendship. Thefe occur more rarely. The ordinary tenor of life is compofed of small duties and offices, which men have occafion daily to perform; and it is only by rendering daily behaviour agreeable, that we can long preferve the comforts of friendship.'

Our high respect for this excellent preacher must not prevent us from remarking that, in the midft of the general purity of style which adorns this as well as the preceding volumes, a few negligencies are to be found:-among thefe, the principal are Scottish idiomatic phrases, to which we do not wish to see even the authority of Dr. Blair fufficient to reconcile the English ear. Of this kind are the expreffions, p. 79, we will often find; p. 97, how often would we find; p. 176, we would difcover; p. 182, it almoft never happens; p. 259, 260, are not long of admonishing us-is not long of occurring. We muft alfo remark, as inelegant, the expreffion, before concluding this difcourfe; and, as tautological, the phrafe, (p. 443.) querulous complaints.

The fubjects in the prefent volume are all of the practical kind:

On the Causes of Men's being weary of Life :-on Charity as the End of the Commandment :-on our Lives being in the Hand of God:-the Mixture of bad Men with the good in Human Society: the Relief which the Gospel affords to the Diftreffed:-Luxury and Licentioufnefs :-the Prefence of God in a Future State :--Curiofity concerning the Affairs of others: on our prefent Ignorance of the Ways of God:-the Slavery of Vice:-the Importance of Public Worship-the Fashion of the World paffing away :-Tranquillity of Mind: on the Misfortunes of Men being chargeable on themfelves :on Integrity as the Guide of Life:-Submiffion to the Divine Will Friendship: the Conduct to be held with regard to future Events: on following the Multitude to do Evil:-The Wisdom of God.'

Though it may not be neceffary to fpecify more particularly the contents of thefe fermons, we cannot deny ourselves the fatisfaction of pointing out, as particularly excellent, the first, eighth, twelfth, thirteenth, and feventeenth,

Од

On a general retrofpect of the four volumes of fermons which Dr. Blair has prefented to the public, we feel ourselves juftified in afferting that we are acquainted with no fet of fermons in the English language which is more uniformly valuable for practical utility of fubject, for judicious felection and clear arrangement of interefting fentiments, for happy illuftrations of important though obvious truths, and for perfpicuity and elegance of style.

THE

ART. X. The Hiftory of the Origin, Progrefs, and Termination of the American War. By C. Stedman, who ferved under Sir W. Howe, Sir H. Clinton, and the Marquis Cornwallis. 4to. 2 Vols. PP. 420 in each. 21. 2s. Boards. Debrett, &c. 1794. 'HE prefent history is written by an officer who ferved in America during our unfortunate war with that country, and is therefore undoubtedly entitled to the attention of the public, fo far as it relates to the conduct of one of the parties in that interesting contest. The fituation of Mr. Stedman, during the period of which he treats, enabled him to collect thofe materials which he has now methodized and communicated to the world. A hiftory of the war, however, by one who not only approved the principles on which it was profecuted by this country, but who drew his fword in the defence of those principles, promised no very favourable account of the conduct of the people who oppofed the claims of Great Britain. To afcertain this circumftance, we have compared the present work with the hiftory written by Dr. Ramfay, and we have been much satisfied with the general coincidence which we difcovered. Some variations were obfervable: but these were eafily reconciled by remembering the different light in which the contest was regarded by the two hiftorians.

Although the iffue of the war was unfortunate, (fays Mr. S. in his dedication to Lord Moira,) our national character was not impaired, nor the conteft, while it was maintained, on the whole inglorious. Neither martial ardour was wanting among our countrymen, nor military enterprife, nor patriotic zeal. In that rank, and those circumstances of life which are at once a temptation and an apology for diffipation and a love of pleasure, the military fpirit of Britain fhone forth with undiminished luftre; and the nobleft families exhibited bright examples of true courage, exalted genius, and confummate wifdom.'

In a judicious and extenfive introduction to his hiftory, Mr. S. traces the origin of the fettlements in North America, delineates the characteristic features of the fettlers in the different ftates, and narrates the principal circumftances which led to their dif

* Of which an account was given in our lxxviiith vol. p. 291.