him, from the fpecimen here examined, upon poffeffing a clear head, or acting with a judicious fpirit. To fweep away the infulated intimations of a Trinity in Plato, by a formal reference to the context; to cover the repeated declarations concerning the Logos in Philo, by blowing the duft of an allegory upon them, is as injudicious in the defign, as we have found it inefficient in the execution. We, therefore, fay of this work, finally, as Johnfon fays of Swift's Tale of a Tub; "charity may be perfuaded to think, that it might be written by a man of peculiar character without ill intention, but it is certainly of dangerous example."

ART. XI. A Dictionary of Chemistry, exhibiting the prefent State of the Theory and Practice of that Science, its application to natural Philofophy, the Procefs of Manufactures, Metallurgy, and numerous other Arts dependent on the Properties and Habitudes of Bodies in the mineral, vegetable, and animal Kingdoms. With a confiderable Number of Tables, expreffing the elective Attractions, Specific Gravities, comparative Heats, component Parts, Combinations, and other Affections of the Objects of chemical Refearch. Illuftrated with Engravings. By William Nicholfen. 2 Volumes. 4to. 1132 pp. 21.105. Robinfons.

1795.

A LTHOUGH the rapid increase of the number of scienti

fic and technical dictionaries fince the publication of the great English and French Encyclopædiæ, be far from a favourable symptom of the progrefs of folid science,but rather tends to facilitate partial enquiry, and the acquirement of fuperficial knowledge; yet in a fubject which, notwithstanding the great improvements made in it of late years, muft ftill be confidered as in a state of infancy, and as yet deftitute of fyftematical connection, we must acknowledge that the alphabetical arrangement is by no means fo exceptionable as in those more perfect theories, whofe feveral parts have a determined coherence, and manifeft dependence on each other. As a further extenuation of the general objection that obtains against fuch dictionaries, we have to observe, in behalf of the work now before us, that the author has, with much industry, endeavoured to make each article a concife effay or tract upon the fubject denoted by its title, and that rather than put his reader to the trouble and embarraffiment of numerous references, has occafionally allowed himself to make fhort repetitions, which he trufts will greatly facilitate

3

facilitate the use of his performance. Thofe who may still be defirous to confult congenial articles, will be materially af fifted by an index of things at the end of the work. The author is aware, that after fuch dictionaries as Macquer's, improved by Leonardi, and now coming out in a still more perfect ftate, from the hand of Mr. Keir, it may be asked what could be the motive of his publication? We fhall leave him to plead his own caufe.

"When any work is publifhed, or in progrefs, it may feem unfair, that is to fay, wrong, for another author to bring into the market a work of precifely the fame kind. But this rivalihip in trade, or in literature confidered as a trade, has always appeared to me to be beneficial to the public, and confequently juftifiable, if conduct d in fuch a manner as not to offend against the other univerfal principles which ought to regulate the conduct of every individual. At all events, however, the difcuffion of this cafe cannot apply to me. My dictionary is comprehended within limits fo much iefs extensive than thofe apparently exhibited in the first part of Mr. Keir's work, that the departments intended to be occupied by each must certainly be very diftinct. I fhall, therefore, difmifs this confideration with the fincere with, that the world may foon be benefitted by the farther labours of that author in his great undertaking."

As to the various writers from whofe works this compilation. has been chiefly extracted, and whofe very words the compiler has frequently tranfcribed, although he has in general rejected the mode of precife quotation, yet he has not failed to pay the tribute he owes to each of them, not only by occafional mention of them when the fubject feemed to require it, but also by a complete alphabetical index of their names at the end of the fecond volume.

The title of this work is fo full and explicit, that, by tranfcribing it, we have afforded our readers as comprehenfive and ample a view of the contents of it, as can well be given of a dictionary. Before, however, we difimifs this article, we think it incumbent on us to ftate in what manner the author has conducted himself with respect to the controversy relating to phlogifton or the nature of combuftion, concerning which he allerts that not a little remains yet to be done, before it can be faid that the process is well understood. He declares in the articles relating to this fubject, that the doctrine which rejects phlogifton, or a common inflammable matter, appears to him to be much the moft fimple, and, confequently, probable; but that he has not thought it eligible to adopt, as yet the nomenclature of the Antiphlogistians.

"We are," he fays, "fo continually misled by words, that it would, no doubt, be of great advantage, if a confiftent and uniform

nomenclature

nomenclature were generally adopted. The French nomenclature, though not without its faults, appears to be more perfect than any other which has been hitherto offered: but I did not think myself at liberty to anticipate the public choice, by ufing it in an elementary work,"

The comparative table of the ancient and new names of the chemical fubftances (which he has given at pp. 524-5-9) will obviate every difficulty that may arife on this fcore, and render the book ufeful to all chemical ftudents, whether attached to the former or the latter theory of chemistry.

ART. XII. Sermons to Country Congregations. By the late Rev. George Haggitt, A. M. Rector of Beechamwell, Norfolk. 2 Vols. 8vo. 14s. Rackham, Bury St. Edmunds. 1796.

THE

HE editor of this pofthumous publication, in a very well written introductory address, briefly acquaints us with the principal events in the life of the author; he then delineates and appreciates with much judgment," the character of an exemplary parish-prieft;" and thows, that this character was well fuftained by the author, whofe temper and conduct are defcribed in a forcible and ftriking manner. Every reader, who is a friend to religion and virtue, will regret the lofs of fuch a man," after a fhort illness, in the 38th year of his age."

The fpecies of merit, to which thefe difcourfes aspire, is ftated to be plainnefs; and the readers of them are requefted to remember the auditors to whom they were delivered; because this circumftance" accounts for, and gives a value to, their great fimplicity of compofition and unornamented language; and is, at the fame time, a mark of the carefulness with which their author accommodated himself to the duties of his fituation."

Many pious and able writers, with a truly chriftian charity, have employed their talents in providing for the inftruction of plain and unlearned perfons; as appears very fignally from the catalogue of books difperfed by The Society for promoting Chriftian Knowledge. Motives of the fame kind, enforced by his particular fituation, appear to have actuated the refpectable author of thefe fermons. He feems to devote his whole mind to the inftruction and improvement of his plain congregations; and yet he does this in fuch a manner, that marks of learning and claffical tafte are difcoverable in every part of his work.

We

We fhall first give some extracts from these volumes, and then fuch a character of them as their merits appear to justify. The first we take from Serm. 5. on Sins of omiffion.

"The promifes of the gofpel are not dealt out to negative virtue; Christianity requires from its votaries a continued feries of pofitive acts of goodness. In vain fhall we plead that we have done no harm, if we are not entitled to fay that we have done good: we were not fent into the world to live in idlenefs, and to go out of it in the fame ftate in which we entered into it: it is expected from us that we make ourfelves better, that we lay out all the endowments of nature and of fortune to the best advantage, that we acquire habits of holiness and benevolence, which may fit us for that blessed fociety, to which on our fo doing we may hope to be preferred.

"The dangers which arife to us from omiffions of our duty are by fo much the greater, because in many cafes they are incurred without our being fenfible of them, and becaufe in almost all they are not afterwards remembered.

"If I commit a pofitive fin, if I fwear, if I am guilty of a falfehood, if I defraud or bear falfe witnefs against my neighbour, I know what I am doing at the time, my guilt makes an impreffion on me, my crime affumes a body and a fhape, I do not eafily forget it, and confequently I may repent of it, and avoid being guilty of the like in future,

"But when I am only negatively criminal, when I merely omit to perform either my public or private devotions to the Almighty, or perform them with careleffnefs and inattention, when I go on from day to day neglecting to improve my understanding, or to render my heart more enlarged, when I take no advantage of the many opportu nities, which are prefented to me of being ufeful to my fellow creatures, when I make no progrefs in the attainment of holiness, and in weaning my affections from the things of this world, my offences having no immediate tendency to caule inconvenience to myself or do injury to my neighbour, make no lafting impreffion on my mind; they are confequently repeated, not merely without regret, but frequently without notice, and are very foon entirely forgotten.

66

Notwithstanding this, they muft certainly be accounted for:→ what the world frequently calls a good fort of perfon, that is, one who neither does harm nor good, who is regular and decent in his conduct, and takes care to do nothing that would bring him under the lath of the law, or fubje& him to any violent cenfure from his neighbours, whofe piety goes no farther than ceremonials, and whofe benevolence extends not beyond good wifhes; fuch an one is reprefented by our Saviour under the character of the fervant who hid his talent in a napkin.--This fervant neither diffipated what was entrusted to him in extravagance, nor loft it by careleffnefs, but he neglected to improve it! he did no harm, it is true, but he did no good; and, therefore, the fentence pronounced againft him was, "Caft ye the unprofitable fervant into outer darkness, where fhall be weeping and gnafhing of teeth,"

"The admonitions and threats of the gofpel are chiefly directed against people of this clafs: the denunciations of our Saviour are more frequently pointed at the lamp which had no oil, the tree which

bore

bore no fruit, and the talent which was not improved, than at bad oil, corrupt fruits, and talents ill-employed.-On the latter, I fuppofe, as being more felf evident, it was not fo neceflary to init. Flagrant violations of God's commandments speak for themfelves; thofe who are guilty of them cannot but know their criminality, and the dangers which they incur; but it was an inftance of our Lord's paternal care to awaken from their flothful dreams, to roufe from their imagined fecurity, thofe who, refting fatisfied with negative virtue, flattered themfelves that they might attain heaven and happinefs, fo long as they did no harm." P. 68.

The next paffage we thall take from Serm. ix. on Contentment. "You are not to imagine that the great look on their fine houfes and gay equipages, and all the appurtenances which belong to grandeur, in the fame light that you do; no; a very little ufe renders all thefe things indifferent to them, and they inhabit their stately palaces, and roll along in their fplendid carriages, receiving no more happinefs from them than you do from your humble cottages, or from walking along by the way-lide.

Another advantage which the poor have over the rich is, the cafe with which they put their children out into the world ;-you are furprised, perhaps, but nothing is more true.

"A poor man is under no difficulty in this refpect: while his children are very young indeed, he is fometimes hard put to it to maintain them; but as foon as they are arrived at maturity, their portion, health and ftrength, is ready for them, and thefe, with the bleffing of God, will procure for them their livelihood. The matter is reverfed with refpect to the rich man; he provides for his offspring without much difficulty in their childhood, but the greateft diftrefs is to fettle them properly in the world! they must be fettled in such a manner (at leaft if their happiness is confulted) as that their habits of life fhall not be entirely different from what they have been in their parent's houfe; and here is the difficulty, a fubject of anxiety with which every parent in the middle and higher ranks of life, who has a numerous offspring, is but too well acquainted." P. 137.

Laftly, from Serm. ii. vol. ii. on the Catechifm.

"Permit me to call on those who have dependants under them, to do all in their power to render this excellent inftitution of the Sabbath effective and useful: not only to free, as much as poffible, from their ufual employments, thofe who live under the fame roof with them, but to make thofe arrangements and fettlements, with all who depend upon them, before the Lord's Day, which, when they are delayed till then, are gladly feized by the idle as an excufe for not attending public worship; while they are fincerely lamented by the welldifpofed, as the real caufe of their abfence, The accounts of the poor are foon fettled, the recompence of their labours for the week paft is not long in adjufting. Let it not then vexatioufly be delayed; nor occupy with earthly cares thofe hours which ought to be fok ly devoted to God. Confider the inestimable importance, to the poor, of Sunday well employed; confider that the certain confequence of their time being taken up, on that day, with earthly cares, must be total irreligion. Reflect how shocked you will be, and how heavy will be

your