ART. 29.-An Address to the People of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, on the threatened Invasion. Printed by Order of the Association for preserving Liberty and Property, &c. at the Crown and Anchor, in the Strand. 8vo. 2d. Downes. 1803.

If there be little novelty in the arguments here adduced, it is far less the fault of the writer than that the important question has been so frequently brought forward in every possibility of shape, that perhaps nothing new remains to be added to it. The address is, in itself, a well-written and temperate enumeration of the causes of the war, and the dangers to which we are exposed, together with the means of resisting those dangers with success. It was published a short time anterior to the universal spirit of volunteering; and we are happy to find that, in his ideas upon this subject, the writer has not been deceived.

In hoping, however, to conquer and enslave Great Britain, your enemies rely chiefly on one chance, which, I think, will never be realized. They trust that they will have only the British army to contend with. They dare to hope, my countrymen, that the British people will be idle spectators of the contest; that you will look on, as if it were a matter of indifference-whether you are to be protected by a British king, a British constitution, and British laws, or to have a Corsican tyrant for your ruler, and Frenchmen for your masters-whether you are to continue to receive from British merchants and farmers the rewards of your labours, or to pay your last farthing in contributions to your ancient enemies,-whether, in short, you are still to derive from your commerce, manufactures, and agriculture, a sure subsistence for yourselves and families, or, by the desolation of your fields, and by the destruction of your commerce and manufactures, to be reduced to a state of distress and despair, of which it is impossible, but by dreadful experience, to form any idea. In trusting to such a chance, in relying on such a hope, Buonaparte shews that he is not acquainted with your character. He puts you upon a level with those stupid nations upon the continent, whom he cajoled into supineness and inactivity, while he was triumphing over their armies, and whom he afterwards punished as they deserved, for their want of patriotism, foresight, and common sense. He will, however, (and I beseech you attend to the warning), in order to prevail upon you to follow their example, endeavour to practise upon you the same arts of delusion, which succeeded with them. The moment he shall have effected a landing he may be expected, according to his invariable custom, to issue a proclamation; in which he will declare, that he comes to make war only against the British government; that he will be the friend and protector of the British people, and will give them an opportunity of choosing their own government; that his troops shall observe the strictest discipline; that persons and property shall be respected; and that those only who act offensively against the French armies will have any thing to fear. Such are the promises by which he prevailed upon the Swiss and other nations, to neglect the defence of their country-and you know how terribly he has fulfilled those promises; and he will doubtless endeavour to cajole you in the same manner. But I am persuaded that you are not to be thus cajoled. You will never be prevailed on to

doubt that the man, who in time of peace, endeavoured to destroy the freedom of the British press, would make you the most abject of slaves if once he became your master. I am confident that in whatever part of the country your foe may land, your bold unconquerable spirit will compel you to afford all possible assistance to his majesty's troops, and, to the utmost of your power, harass, alarm, fatigue, and destroy the enemy. I am confident that every one of you who can command a musquet, though he should not have an opportunity of using it in a disciplined corps, will level it from hedge to hedge at some of the invaders. Britons are the most humane people on earth; but every one of them who can destroy a Frenchman, landed on British ground in order to reduce it to slavery, may justly pride himself, to the end of his days, on such an act of patriotism and justice.' P. 13. ART. 30.-The Country in Arms; or, No Danger from Invasion. By an Old Soldier. 8vo. 1s. Ginger. 1803.

Individuals,' says the author, referring to Bonaparte, much less nations, deserve oblique when they suffer themselves to be insulted with impunity; such insults the effusions of an inflated vanity, shew rather the imperfections of the human mind, than it argues a want of capacity; and it rarely happens that any consideration short of experience will correct the folly of men who value themselves upon their good fortune. Philosophy, however, should teach him, that he is but a man at the head of forty millions of slaves, and his reading, that every Briton is a freeman, competent to the full exercise of all his powers, moral and intellectual; and doing every justice to this wonderful man, we pause in believing that a human being so highly gifted, could be guilty of the massacre of four thousand of his fellow creatures in cool blood! But which, if true, fixes an indelible stain upon a character, which adding another scarf to the dazzling pages of historical record, humanity shrinking at the tales, in place of heroes, discover only cannibals and monsters.' P. 7.

When Socrates, after having received from Euripides the very obscure and unintelligible treatise on nature, by Heraclitus, who was celebrated for his impenetrable style of writing-clarus ob obscuram linguam-was asked his opinion of the work, he replied, with much liberality, that what he could comprehend of it was excellent, and he doubted not that the rest which he could not comprehend was equally so. If we pay a small portion of the same compliment to the writer of the pamphlet before us, he will have no reason to be dissatisfied with our verdict.

RELIGION.

ART. 31.-Plain Thoughts on the New Testament Doctrine of Atonement, by John Simpson, of Hackney. 870. Johnson. 1802.

28.

• The most powerful motive to Christian obedience' (says the author) is not to be found in the system of either Calvin or Socinus; it lies between them, and is neglected by them both.' In this sentiment there is great justice; and the author's point is to show where

the truth is to be found--which he might have done without the violent language employed against priests in his introduction, which will prevent many persons from entering upon the discussion with a proper coolness of temper. According to him, then, the true scripture notion of atonement is not that of doing something to conciliate God, or to make satisfaction for sin, but to bring the offending party to a state of reconciliation with God: and, in the following manner, the apostles are introduced, as addressing mankind upon this important subject.

• Men!" you have destroyed yourselves," by sinning against heaven; your case is desperate, and your destruction is inevitable, unless you hearken to our advice. The God of all grace interests himself for your restoration to happiness. He has invested us with an high commission, and appointed us to negociate the great affair with you. It is nothing less than a most earnest entreaty, that you will accept his offered friendship and be reconciled to him, who notwithstanding all you have done to offend him, hath never yet ceased to love you. Óf this he has afforded you the most unequivocal proof, by sending the Son of his love into the world, commanding him to lay down his life, that he might hereby commend and demonstrate that love to you. You conceive because you have offended him, that he hates you; thus you judge of him by yourselves, and in doing so you err most egregiously; for his ways are not like your ways, neither his thoughts like your thoughts. We are authorised to declare, and empowered to demonstrate, that he loves you although you are his enemies; his heart is set upon being your friend, and that you may be his," we therefore pray, be ye reconciled to God."

P. 43.

Hence, the author asserts, that the notion of satisfaction by the death of Christ is not a doctrine of Scripture and all the passages which are supposed to countenance this doctrine, he considers as mere figurative expressions twisted into an improper meaning by the advocates of this tenet. God is therefore, in his apprehension, one in person, who always loved his creatures, though alienated from him by their sins; and who manifested his love in the highest degree by the Gospel dispensation, by which, through the mediation of Christ, we are saved from our sins, and reconciled to the Father.

ART. 32.-An Essay on the Duration of a future State of Punishments and Rewards. By John Simpson. Svo. 25. Egerton. 1803.

Every man must naturally feel anxious on this important subject, and be seriously disposed to inquire, first, concerning the fact whether death will put an end to his existence; and, secondly, in case it does not, whether such existence be productive of happiness or misery. The doubts of the wisest philosophers of antiquity, who were unacquainted with the truths of revelation, sufficiently demonstrate the little knowledge that is to be acquired on this subject from the glimmering light of natural religion. It is the resurrection of our Saviour which has positively decided the question: and we now know to a certainty, that all who live will merely pass through the gates of death to another state of being. The mode of this existence can be ascer

tained also by the light only of Revelation; and all conjectures founded on our imagination ought to be excluded from this inquiry. If it had pleased God to have given us full information concerning the future state, it might, by many unthinking persons, have been considered as a great advantage; but our present infirm state is as little calculated to bear such information, as that of a child of three years old to comprehend the businesses or professions of those around him who have arrived to years of maturity. A few great truths are revealed to us, and in language adapted to the subject; but, not content with the general truths, many have taken upon themselves to dogmatise upon the fate of their fellow-creatures, and to consign the majority of them to a state of never-ending misery. But are such persons authorised to dogmatise in this manner by the Scriptures?-for to these alone are we to look for the truth of such tremendous denunciations.

The mode of examining the question in this work is admirable. The expressions relating to the future state of the wicked are investigated, and the real meaning of αιών, αιώνιος, απολλυμι, απώλεια, &c. are ascertained; whence the author determines, that there is no one passage in Scripture which asserts positively that the wicked shall endure, in a future life, eternity of punishment. The passages relative to the future state of the good are then examined; and, as the words OLIQEY, and anos, are applied to this state also, it might be supposed that their happiness would, in like manner, be of finite duration; but it is shown, that, upon this side of the question, there are certain expressions occasionally to be met with, on which no doubt can possibly arise; and whence the never-ending happiness of the good must necessarily be inferred. The different metaphors used on both subjects are examined with great judgement; and the whole forms a work which we most strenuously recommend to the perusal and close attention of every one who wishes for a clear view of this interesting argu

ment.

ART. 33.—A Letter to the Rev. John Kentish, occasioned by some remarkable Passages in his Sermon, entitled, A Review of Christian Doctrine, delivered at Hackney, on Sunday, January 2, 1803. By William Sturch. 8vo. 1s. John

son. 1803.

Upon these remarks, the writer makes the following observation →

I have no doubt there are many who will be of opinion, that hardly any sufficient apology can be made for the freedom and publicity with which they are offered. They will say, that, for a layman to publish remarks, which they will be very apt to construe into an attack on your sermon, is a very reprehensible breach of decorum; and they will think, that, if there were any parts of it which required explanation, I might have sought that explanation in a more private way.' P. 32.

We cannot suppose that there are any so absurd as to imagine a sermon committed to the press to be an improper object of animadversion, or the character and situation of preacher and hearer so different, that the latter should be guilty of a breach of decorum in showing that he has CRIT. REV. Vol. 39. September, 1803.

I

been attentive to an excellent discourse. If this, however, be the case among dissenters, it is assuredly not so in the established church. The writer does not agree with the preacher on certain points: he proposes his difficulties in a modest dispassionate manner, is extremely fond of the Christian religion, but would take away its main stay and support : he runs into the vulgar error of believing in our Saviour's existence, and extolling his character, though he cannot bear the idea either of miracles or prophecies. Two points are here chiefly discussed: the first, that there is no proof that the four Gospels were published anterior to the destruction of Jerusalem; the second, that the hopes of a future resurrection are not built solely on the death and resurrection of our Saviour. We cannot perceive much force in the arguments advanced on these heads; yet the time of the preacher will not be misemployed in entering more at large into the subject, and giving his friend complete satisfaction. We are happy to learn that he is fully competent to such an undertaking.

ART. 34.-Letters to an Universalist: containing a Review of the Controversy between Mr. Vidler and Mr. Fuller; on the Doctrine of universal Salvation. By Scrutator. 8vo. 3s. sewed. Button and Son.

1802.

There has been, it seems, a dispute between Mr. Vidler and Mr. Fuller, two dissenting ministers, on the subject of the eternity of future torments; the former being an advocate for universal restoration, the latter a champion for the dogmas of Calvinism. Scrutator pretends to hold the balance between them: but he is forgetful of the province of a reviewer; and, laying aside all pretensions to impartiality, is to be considered merely as a defender of the Calvinist. It is truly distressing to behold in what manner what ought to be a simple discussion may become the means of every species of uncharitableness. Many very respectable divines of the church of England, as well as of other churches, have maintained the obnoxious doctrine which Mr. Vidler supports yet this gentleman is abused as being a Socinian; and all the rage of Calvinism is let loose upon him through this pretext. The question has nothing to do with Socinianism; and Scrutator throws no new light on a controversy, which ought to be agitated in much better temper.

ART. 35.-Letters to Mr. Fuller on the universal Restoration, with a Statement of Facts attending that Controversy, and some Strictures on Scrutator's Review. By William Fidler, 8vo. 3s. sewed. Vidler. 1803.

Mr. Vidler produces the usual arguments in favour of his opinion, which depend chiefly on the meaning of the words aww and awn05, with the parallels in the Hebrew by and Ty by. The subject has been so long before the public, that no general interest can be excited by this work: but several curious declarations are elicited, which will scarcely be credited by those who are unacquainted with the conduct of dissenters. To say,' says our author, that a man is of a speculative disposition, would be enough to ruin a minister's character in most orthodox baptist churches in England,' Another fact