chafers. The author, indeed, profeffes to recommend the obfervance of the Lord's Supper, but he might as well recommend a Supper in commemoration of Dr. Priestley, or any other departed friend, whom he might please to call a Chriftian. He regards it only as a decent focial meeting, by which we acknowledge the Father Almighty, and recognize Jefus Christ, as a teacher of that which we confider to be the Holy Will of God." "We feek in it," he fays, "to ftrengthen our best resolutions, whilst we comply with the last wishes of a dying Friend, JESUS OF NAZARETH." P. 24.

That they who prefume to degrade the bleffed Son of God into a mere man, fhould also lower his holy institutions into mere focial meetings, is perfectly confiftent; but it is at the fame time quite evident, that fuch perfons have, in their religion, no Sacraments, nor, in fact, any Redeemer. "For it coft too much to redeem their fouls, fo that they must let that alone for ever."

ART. 32. The Lord Jefus Chrift's Sermon on the Mount, with a Course of Questions and Anfwers, explaining that valuable Portion of Scripture, and intended chiefly for the Inftruction of young Perfons. By the Rev. John Eyton. 12mo. PP. 37. Well. ington printed; Hatchard, &c. London. 1805.

This little Catechifm is of a ufeful kind. The author has divided the Sermon on the Mount into nine unequal, but not in judicious fections, and has illuftrated it throughout by questions put to the young Catechumen, and anfwers fuggefted, which are well calculated to imprefs upon the mind the fubftance and defign of that divine difcourfe. The tract confifts of three parts. 1. The introductory obfervations, containing the arguments of the nine Sections. 2. The Sermon itself. 3. The Queftions and Anfwers explanatory of the Discourse, amounting in all to 274. The explanation appears to us to contain nothing that is not truly found and good.

As it is likely that fo ufeful a book of inftruction will be called for in repeated impreffions, we are defirous to propofe fome improvements in point of form, which will make it much more convenient for use. The Sections of the Difcourfe itself should be diftinctly marked in the margin, or even by a fpace left at the end of each with a new head. A reference should be fubjoined alfo to each Section, pointing out at which Queftion the explanation of that Section begins, as I. See Queft. 1. II. See Queft. 30. III. See Queft. 42. IV. See Queft, 111, &c. And, to make the reference ftill more cafy, it would be convenient to break the Queftions themfelves into portions, correfponding with the Sections and similarly numbered. As every facility fhould be given to young learners, the clearnefs beftowed by these typographical diftinctions would be of more fervice than might per. haps be fuppofed; and we hope it will be confidered by the author.

We

We fhall be glad to have contributed fomething to the perfection of an inftructive tract.

ART. 33. A Sermon, preached before the Aldermen and Corporation of Grantham, on Sunday, the 21ft of October, 1804. By the Rev. Robert-Lafcelles Carr, Chaplain to Earl Clanwilliam and to Lord Mendip. Published at the Requeft of the Corporation. 4to. 20 pp. Price 1s. 6d. White. 1805.

The text is Pfalm lxxxii. 6. "I have faid ye are Gods, but ye fhall die like men.” This is a very forcible difcourfe on the duty of magiftrates, and appears from the earnest application to the author to print it, to have made a very strong impreffion.

ART. 34. A Sermon preached at Childwall, Dec. 5, 1805, the Day of general Thanksgiving for the glorious Victory obtained by bis Majefty's Fleet, under the Command of Lord Nelfon, over the combined Fleets of France and Spain. By the Rev. J. Sharpe, Chaplain to his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge. 8vo. 16 pp. 1s. Liverpool, Milne; London, Baldwin. 1806. The fentiments of this discourse are loyal and pious, and the language well adapted to exprefs them. The author notices the frequent interpofitions of Providence in favour of this country, fuggefts the fuitable feelings and conduct, laments the lofs of the Hero who commanded, and finally, in a fhort addrefs, recommends a contribution to the patriotic fund. "I make no appeal," he fays, "to your hearts on this occafion, from a conviction, that, were I poffeffed of the most pathetic eloquence, I fhould fail by any argument to operate upon that mind, which is not animated by an ardent impulse to testify its sense of gratitude for fuch unexampled fervices rendered to his country, by contributing towards the comfort and fupport of the fatherless and widows of those brave men who have fallen in the glorious conteft." Such exhortations were every where abundantly fufficient, and proved the general feeling of the country.

ART. 35. A Sermon, preached in the Parish Church of St. Mary, Shrewsbury, on Thursday, December 5, 1805. The Day appointed, by His Majefty's Proclamation, for a General Thankf giving to Almighty God, for the late fignal and important Victory obtained by His Majesty's Ships of War, under the Command of the late Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelfon, over the Combined Fleets of France and Spain. By John Brickdale Blakeway, M. A. Minifter of the faid Parish. Printed by Request. 8vo. Price 1s. 6d. Longman. 1805.

From Romans xi. 20, &c. "Be not high-minded, but fear," &c. The preacher expatiates with much force on the distinguished favours of Providence manifefted to the British Nation, from the deftruction

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BRIT, CRIT, VOL, XXVII, FEB, 1806,

deftruction of the Spanish Armada to the prefent eventful period. He then draws, as a conclufion, that far from elevating us to pride and vanity, we fhould not be high-minded, but fear; and not dedicate the hour of triumph to riotous excefs, but rather to the improvement of our minds in moral and religious difcipline. The quotation from Thompfon, at the end, might as well have been omitted.

ART. 36. A Sermon, preached in Oxford Chapel, by Cavendi Square, on Thursday, the 5th of December, 1805. By the Rev. David Evans, Affiftant Minifter of the faid Chapel. 8vo. Price 15. 6d. 1805.

This difcourfe is conceived and expreffed with the real fervour of patriotifm, but is not entitled to any confiderable praise for elegance or dignity of language. The text is Pfalm 1. 15. and the Sermon is infcribed to Admiral Nugent.

ART. 37. A Sermon, preached to a Country Congregation on the Occafion of the late General Thanksgiving for the Victory over the Combined Fleets of France and Spain. By the Rev. Sir Adam Gordon, Bart. Rector of Weft Tilbury, Effex, &c. Printed in Aid of the Collection for the Patriotic Fund. 8vo. Price 1s. 6d. Rivingtons. 1806.

Our pages have borne frequent teftimony to the meritorious. exertions of this preacher in the duties of his profeffional office; and the prefent difcourfe will by no means detract from his wellearned reputation. The text is from Pfalm cxxiv. 1, 2, 8. "If the Lord himfelf had not been on our fide," &c. &c.

The particular apoftrophe on the character of the gallant Lord Nelfon at pages 10, 11, is compofed with extraordinary animation; and the appeal to the benevolence of the hearers, at the conclufion, is fo forcible and happy, that we have no doubt it produced the moft defirable confequences.

MISCELLANIES.

ART. 38. A Comparative View of the new Plan of Education promulgated by Mr. Jofeph Lancufer, in his Tracts concerning the Inftruction of the Children of the Labouring Part of the Com munity; and of the Syftem of Chriflian Education founded by our pious Forefathers for the Initiation of the Young Members of the Established Church in the Principles of the Reformed Religion. By Mrs. Trimmer. 8vo. 152 pp. Price 35. Rivingtons, &c. 1805.

We confider this as a very important tract. In December last we published a very fenfible Letter, figned a Churchman,

ftating

ftating fome very material objections to the unbounded extenfion of that fyftem of education, recommended by Mr. Lancaster, 'which has already obtained very confiderable patronage. Mrs. Trimmer here continues the fame fubject: and giving all due credit to Mr. L. for the mechanical part of his plan, contends, that it is not in all refpects fuch as to deferve univerfal adoption in this country. Objections are made to feveral particulars in Mr. L.'s fyftem of rewards and punishments; but the moft material objection is to the religious courfe of education, in which the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Sacra ments of the Chriftian Church, primary objects in the instruction recommended by national authority, appear to be kept quite out of fight. Mrs. T. recalls to notice the Exhortation which concludes our Office for Baptifm, and maintains, that the plan there laid down ought by all means to be pursued. She analyses much at large a work of Dr. Talbot, formerly Rector of Spofforth, in Yorkshire, entitled "The Chriftian Schoolmafter," and defcribing the qualities of a schoolmafter for the poor: the fyftem of this work the greatly prefers to that of Mr. L. An account is alfo given of Dr. Bell's fchool, at Madras, in many respects the model of Mr. Lancaster's. We cannot follow the excellent wri ter through the whole of her arguments, but must commend them as highly worthy of confideration. The conclufion of the tract will leave upon the minds of our readers a clear impreffion of the fpirit and defign with which fhe writes.

"I have no perfonal prejudice against Mr. Lancaster as a feparatift; I highly refpect his talents; but as it plainly appears to me that his plan, in its full extent, cannot stand on national ground together with the fyftem of religious education founded at the REFORMATION, I am folicitous to fee the preference given where it is juftly due; yet, without defiring to deprive Mr. L. of any part of the credit he may reasonably claim for contributing to the improvement of children of the lower orders, by providing, what is generally wanted in moft fchools, a better method of fchool-management and tuition." P. 152.

ART. 39. The Traveller's Guide, or English Itinerary; containing accurate and original Defcriptions of all the Counties, Cities, Towns, Villages, Hamlets, Sc. and their exact Distances from London; together with the Cathedrals, Churches, Hofpitals, Gentlemen's Seats, (with the Names of the prefent Proprietors) Manufactures, Harbours, Bays, Rivers, Canals, Bridges, Lakes, Salt and Medicinal Springs, Vales, Hills, Mountains, Mines, Caffles, Curiofities, Market Days, Fairs, Inns for Poft Horses, c. The whole comprising a complete Topography of England and Wales. To which are prefixed, General Obfervations on Great Britain; including a corre& Itinerary from London to the

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feveral

feveral Watering and Sea-Bathing Places, Lifts of Inns in London, Mail Coaches, Wharfs, Packet-Boats, Rates of Porterage, Poftage of Letters, and every other useful Information, equally calculated for the Man of Business and the inquifitive Traveller. By W. C. Oulton, Efq. Illuftrated with Sixty-fix correct Pictu refque Views, and a whole Sheet coloured Map of England and Wales. In Two Volumes. 12mo. 824 and 944 PP. 11. g .55. Cundee. 1805.

After fo enormous a title-page, there is not much for a reviewer to say the title itself is an analytical review. How these various points are executed may very briefly be faid. In general fufficiently well. The book may be confidered as an English Gazetteer amplified. The fault of it, as a travelling-book, is the inconvenient thickness of the volumes: from which, in our opinion, the introduction might well be fpared, without any lofs to the reader. The fixty-fix views are contained in twenty-two plates, three on each; certainly engraved with much neatness, but too small to convey any very diftinct ideas of the places reprefented. Three views, on one duodecimo page, may be conceived to be rather contracted. The whole-fheet coloured map of England and Wales seems intended chiefly to give the roads; yet with fo little care is this done, that the great Bath road breaks off at Reading, and never gets any nearer to London. We would recommend omitting the introduction, and dividing the rest into three volumes at the leaft, which would make the books more tractable. The map alfo might be fpared, fince almost every traveller has either a good map of England, or Cary's fmall county maps of the roads. Thus might both the price and form of the work be amended, and it might become a general chaife companion.

ART. 40. The Morality of Fiction; or an Inquiry into the Tendency of fictitious Narratives, with Obfervations on fome of the moft Eminent. By H. Murray, Author of the Swiss Emigrants. I 2mo. 171 pp. 45. Edinburgh, printed. Longman and Co. London. 1805.

As fictitious narratives form a large part of the reading of many perfons in this age, we cannot too highly commend the defign and execution of this little work. The author confiders the best mode of giving moral utility to fuch productions, and briefly, but judiciously, characterises the most eminent of those which have been written at various times and in various countries. He contends, and we think with great truth and judgment, certainly with fome ftrong authorities on his fide, for the advantage derived to morality from exhibiting, with kill and liveliness, characters fomewhat fuperior to the ordinary level of moral and religious excellence; and he well replies to the most current ob

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jections