There appears to us to be fome degree of stiffness in the general ftyle of this work; and in feveral places we have remarked inaccuracies of language, which merit particular

notice.

-Unfuccessful though in one part-the Afiatic pride would but ill brook with the dictatorial spirit-the bare recital is full fufficient-the fulfillance of the engagement-fate had not yet finished with the devoted family-requiring the aid of his affiftancethe empire rent admitted of the abuse-of equally as real valuation to the original proprietor; are phrafes which will scarcely bear a critical examination.

A writer, who attempts an ornamented and elevated style, ought not to forget, that the first step towards elegance is correctness.

ART. XII. An Addrefs to the People of Scotland, upon the Alarms that bave been raifed in regard to Popery. By George Campbell, D. D. Principal of Marifchal College, Aberdeen. 12mo. Is. Cadell.

Printed at Aberdeen.

TH

1779.

HIS excellent Address does no fmall honour both to the head and heart of its Author; it breathes a truly candid and liberal fpirit, and well deferves the ferious attention of every one who is defirous of acting according to the genuine principles of Proteftantifm and Chriftianity. As the Doctor could not be prefent at the laft national Affembly of the Church of Scotland, he thought it his duty, to give an ample teftimony to the world of his judgment, on the whole, of a very important fubject; a subject which ftill continues to engage no inconfiderable part of the public attention. If what he has advanced upon it be coolly and impartially confidered, it cannot fail, in our opinion, of producing thofe fentiments, and that temper and difpofition of mind which becomes the difciples of him who came not to deftroy men's lives, but to fave them.

His Addrefs is divided into three chapters; in the firft of which, he confiders the doctrine of the Gofpel in regard to perfecution, and, particularly, to perfecutors. Here he fhews, that the methods whereby, according to the command of our Lord, his religion was to be propagated, were no other than teaching, and the attractive influence of an exemplary life; and that the maxims of the Apoftles are entirely conformable to the leffons which they had received from their Mafter. He illuftrates our Saviour's precepts by his example; and examines in what manner he was affected with regard to the antipathy and mutual rancour that fubfifted, in his time, between the Jews and the Samaritans, who ftood on a footing with each other somewhat fimilar (but incomparably worfe) to that of Proteftants and Papifts amongst us, before the late alarms. In a word, he

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makes

makes it fufficiently evident, that neither the example nor the precepts either of the divine Author of our religion, or of his Apoftles, authorife the ufe of the fword, or any fuch carnal weapons, for the advancement of religion; that they fortify our minds with meeknefs, faith, and patience, to bear, but in no case permit us to inflict, perfecution, not even in requital of that which we ourselves have formerly been made to fuffer; that the neceffary confequence of fuch unfanctified meafures is to fubvert the power, for the fake of establishing the form, of godlinefs, and to make us facrifice the spirit of our religion, that charity which animates the whole, to a mere lifeless figure.

In the fecond chapter, our Author confiders the conclufions to which found policy would lead us, in regard to the toleration of Papifts, and fets out, with obferving that the propriety, confidered in a political light, of giving fuch a toleration to Papifts in Scotland, as has been already granted in England and Ireland, is a point, the decifion of which belongs properly to the legislature. To him, he tells us, it appears particularly improper in ecelefiaftical judicatories to meddle with it, as it is a question which folely regards the fafety of the body politic. But however improper it may be for ecclefiaftical judicatories, as fuch, to interfere with the legislature in this affair, we may be permitted, he says, as individuals in this land of liberty, for the fake of quieting the minds of well-meaning people, freely to canvass the queftion of the expediency of the projected toleration; this being the privilege, if ufed difcreetly, of all British subjects, in regard to public meafures. With due deference to his fuperiours, therefore, he fubmits his fentiments on this head to the candid examination of his readers, and we cannot deny ourselves the pleasure of inferting part of what he fays.

He fets out with obferving, that in every ftate there is a right of felf-preservation, which implies, amongst other things, that of protecting itself against violence offered, either from without, or from within, from foreign hoftile ftabs, or from its own feditious and corrupt members, and confequently of repelling force by force.--That it is the duty of the magiftrate, who is the trustee, and confequently the fervant, of the state, not only to defend the community when attacked, but to watch for its fafety, and, by every method which the conftitution impowers him to ufe, that is, as far as his truft extends, to prevent every danger which may be forefeen, as well as to remove that which is prefent.

Now on these, and on thefe only, continues he, is founded the magistrate's title to interfere with religious fects. Opinion is naturally beyond the jurifdiction of magistracy, whofe proper object is public peace or national profperity. As this cannot be injured or interrupted by men otherwife than by their actions, these are strictly

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all that are immediately cognizable by civil judicatories. As however it is unquestionable, that opinion has great influence on practice, fo the open profeffion of fuch opinions as are manifefly fubverlive of the natural or civil rights of the fociety, or of the rights of individual members of the fociety, is undoubtedly to be regarded as an overt act which falls under the cognizance of the magiftrate. It is only in this view that opinion ought ever to be held as coming under his jurifdiction. Confidered in a religious view, as true or falfe, orthodox or heterodox, and confequently as affecting our fpiritual and eternal interefts, it is certainly not of the department of the fecular powers. Yet this diftinction has not always been obferved. And thofe in power, from confiderations of a fpiritual nature, which were totally without their province, have thought themfelves bound, by the most facred ties, to do all they could, for the encouragement of their own opinions, becaufe fuppofed to be found, and for the fuppreffion of every opinion as unfound, which flood oppofed to them.

Hence that fpirit of intolerance which has for many centuries proved the bane of Christendom, and which fill continues the bane of many countries in Europe, as well as in other quarters of the globe. Nothing can be more evident, than that if the magiftrate is entitled, nay obliged, by all the weight of his authority, to crufh opinions, merely becaufe erroneous, and conceived by him pernicious to the foul, this obligation must be inherent in the office of magiftracy, and confequently incumbent on every magiftrate. Now, as his only immediate rule for what he is bound to cherish, and what to crush, is, and can be no other than, his own opinions, and (the magiftrate having no more claim than private perfons to infallible direction) as the fame variety of fentiments may be, nay in different ages and nations has been, in those of this rank as in thofe of any other; it will be found, on this hypothefis, the duty of rulers to fupprefs and perfecute in one country, and at one period, what it is the duty of rulers in another country, or even in the fame country, at another period, to cherish and protect. This confequence, how abfurd foever, is fairly deducible from the aforefaid principle, and ought therefore to be held a fufficient demonftration of the abfurdity of that principle. One of the many unhappy confequences which has flowed from the iniquitous but general practice of acting in conformity to that falfe tenet, is, that the minds of parties, even those whofe differences in opinion are merely fpeculative, and could never, if left to themfelves, have affected the peace of fociety, have been exasperated against one another. Jealoufy and envy have arifen, and been foftered by mutual injuries. Every fect has been led to view in every other a rival and an enemy, a party from which, if raised to power, it would have every thing to dread. And as this almost equally affects both fides, each has played the tyrant in its turn. As men's conduct is influenced more by paffion than by cool reflection, all have been very flow in difcovering the falfity of the principle, the magiftrate's right of interfering, when there is no vifible danger to the ftate; this right, though fometimes controverted by the weaker party, the prevalent fect has always affirmed and defended, thinking itself entitled to a monopoly of the principle, as

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being

being alone, in its own account, on the fide of truth. The remembrance too of injuries received, inflead of opening their eyes, and fhowing them the ruinous confequences of that radical error, has but ferved to rivet them in it, and make them avail themselves of it in their turn. Nay, fo inconfiftent a creature is man! those who but a little before ftrenuously maintained the right of private judgment, are no fooner raised to power, than they obftinately refufe that right to others. As they have been accustomed to look on the other party as enemies, and have been badly treated by them, they think they derive hence an additional right to perfecute them from the law of retaliation.

This, I acknowledge, renders religious fects in another view, an object of attention to the magistrate. A party whofe avowed principles, confidered by themselves, have nothing hoftile to fociety, may, from its ftrength and habitual enmity to the predominant fect, endanger the public peace. Hence it may happen, that civil governors, though perfectly indifferent which of two fects they fhall favour, may find it incompatible with the fafety of the ftate, to give equal countenance to both: perfect equality, where there is reciprocal hatred, could not long fubfift, without giving rife to reciprocal hoftilities. The utmost vigilance could not always prevent this effect, which might, in the end, overturn the conftitution. But where the public tranquillity has been long the fole object of the magiftrate, there is hardly any risk of his adopting those measures which caufe men's minds to rankle, and produces in their breafts that most unlovely and unchriftian difpofition one towards another.

It is admitted, that when the public peace is in danger, it is his duty to interpofe. Sedition or rebellion is not entitled to take helter in religious fentiments, nor can the plea of liberty of confcience juftly avail any man, for invading the liberty or property, facred or civil, of another. So much for what appears to be the original rights of the civil power in what concerns fects in religion. It must be owned, however, that there are many particular circumftances, which, when they occur, ought, in a great measure, to reftrain the xertion of a power otherwife warrantable. When parties are already formed, and of long continuance, though their fundamental principles be unfriendly to the rights of fociety, their numbers, and weight, and other confiderations, may render an indu!gence, otherwife unmerited, the more eligible meafure, because in its confequences the lefs evil. It may however be remarked in paff ing, that though there be feveral prudential confiderations which may render it proper to extend favour to thofe whofe tenets, or temper, or both, how that they but ill deferve it, no confideration can give the magiftrate a right to perfecute any party whofe principles, viewed in a political light, are nowife unfriendly to the rights of their fellow-citizens, or of the ftate, and whofe difpofition and con. duct is peaceable and inoffenfive.'

He now proceeds to apply thefe principles to the cafe in hand; he confiders the character of Roman Catholics with great impartiality;-he neither exaggerates nor extenuates their faults:—in a word, he pleads the caufe of toleration in the true fpirit of to

leration.

leration. He is of opinion, that fo inconfiderable a party (for both in number of people and in property, their proportion is fo very small as not to be worth mentioning) can be of no danger to the conftitution of this country; efpecially when it is confidered, that it is not propofed to admit them into any, even the loweft offices of magiftracy or legiflation, or any place of public truft; and that, if at any time any unforeseen evil or danger fhould arife from them, the legislature, of which they can make no part, and on which, confidering their very great inferiority in all refpects, they can have no conceivable influence, have it always in their power to give a timely check to it.

In the laft chapter, our Author points out the proper and chriftian expedients for promoting religious knowledge, and repreffing error. And here, as through the whole Addrefs, indeed, the reader will find that candor, moderation, ferioufnefs, and liberal spirit, which becomes a truly Proteftant divine.

FOREIGN LITERATURE.

ART. XIII.

Meditationes Phyfico-Chemica de Origine Mundi, &c. Phyfico-Chemical Meditations on the Origin of the World. By Job. G. Wallerius, Profeffor of Chemistry, Metallurgy, &c. 8vo. 6. fewed. Stockholm. 1779. Imported by T. Lowndes.

T

HE reputation which this Author has juftly acquired, by his mineralogical writings, is well known. In what degree it will be increafed by the present publication, we shall not undertake to determine. Without entering into the merits of his theory of the earth, we cannot avoid obferving, that he is much too diffuse in reciting, as authorities, the opinions of the ancient philofophers, facred writers, and others, on the natures of the different elements, and other fubjects, with which they certainly were very little acquainted; and that he himself imitates their mode of philofophifing somewhat too closely, in his own investigations relative to the matters which are the particular objects of this treatise;-the accounting for the first formation of this globe, and the nature and various modifications of the elements which conftitute it.

The Author commences his fyftem, by treating of fire and light. The latter, he fays, is a fubftance, not inflammable, nor calorific, nor aerial, much lefs terreftrial; of the greatest fubtilty and mobility, and always tending upwards.' - The ancients afcribed to it a fpiritual or divine origin.- Leibnitz,' he adds, likewife contended, that it ought to be confidered as a fpiritual fubftance: and why not? We call the moft fubtile and active fluid in the animal body by the name of animal fpirits; and who can deny that thefe fpirits derive their first

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origin