fent infamy, finks the present parent into Hell, are two forts of principles, which, however they may be called faith, in effect, differ little from total infidelity.

Neither will that fubterfuge avail, that in weeping over our deceased friend, we lament our own misfortune: fince it is fuch a fubterfuge as contradicts the very nature of things. The voice of nature, in terms of pity and commiferation, is too ftrongly marked to take a different form from the fuggeftions of art; nor is it at all more abfurd, to fay, that we call ourselves wicked, when we apply that epithet to a villain, than to fay, that we call ourselves wretched, when we 6 apply that epithet to the dead.

There is a farther illuftration of all this in a celebrated paffage in one of Cicero's philofophical treatifes, where the truth of what we have now drawn from the filent practice, or unwary paffions of men, is wonderfully confirmed by plain acknowlegement, and audible confeffion.

< The Heathen in that dialogue, who was more at liberty than Chriftians to deliver his fentiments on the immortality of the foul, fays, that while he was reading Plato's treatife on that fubject, he was in fome measure perfuaded of the truth of his opinion; but that his affent quite vanished as foon as he laid it down,

To account for this, we muft fuppofe, what Seneca has, in fome measure, explained in a parallel paffage, that the Heathen, meeting in Plato's treatife with fome plausible ' reasons, which confpired with the high opinion that men conceive of their fouls, and their natural defire of future existence, he acquired, as it were, a fort of temporary perfuafion of their truth; but as foon as he looked again on the difordered face of things among his fellow-creatures, and especially on the fad and melancholy fymptoms of diffolution in common to them with other animals, this perfuafion died away.

This, with fome fmall variation of circumftances, is the cafe with the Chriftians we are confidering. Having a due degree of veneration for the religion they were brought up in; having never heard any principle of it difputed, and naturally wishing for the immortality it promifes, they give fome faint fort of affent to its truth: but this affent not being strong enough to bear them up amidst the exigencies of life, it vanifhe into nothing before the alarms of dan6 ger, or allurements of fin.

This reafoning will help us to another example, urged ⚫ with great vehemence by the objector, though, in truth, it • differs not much from the preceding: This inftance is, that many profligate Chriftians amongst the Catholics have recourfe in danger to images and relics, and have fuperftitioufly placed a confidence in their aid, when all human meafures have failed; from whence it is inferred, that they have a belief in thefe, and of confequence in Chriftianity alfo. Indeed, their belief in both is the fame; and while they flatter their pride, promife them fupport, or bring no interruption to their pleasures, they act as if their belief in them was real: but when they crofs their intereft, curb their appetites, and thwart their inclinations, the cafe is altogether changed; and it is well if the relics once fo much honoured are not treated at laft with the fame contempt as that impotent god in the fable, which fell a facrifice to the fury of its importunate folicitor, for not being able to hear and affift him,

I could, if it was neceffary, confirm this reafoning by a great variety of parallel inftances; but it may be more proper to confirm it by the beft fupport in all difputable cafes, and that is, by real experience and fact; by the examples of thofe great and illuftrious forerunners in the Chriftian courfe already mentioned, who having firft believed their religion in the purity it was taught, proceeded of confequence to practife it with the fteadiness it was believed.

And here, and here only, fince the foundation of Chriftianity, is to be feen the mighty power and efficacy of faith in the happy production of every grace, and every virtue; in gentleness, in meeknefs, in forbearance, and humility; in forgiveness, in charity, in fincerity and truth; in temperance, in patience, in fortitude and conftancy; in neglect of riches, in fubmiffion to injuries, in contempt of death, and confidence in God,

The time would fail me, fooner than it did the Apoftle in his illuftrious catalogue of the Old Teftament-worthies, were I to infift on all the eminent gifts and virtues of the New: let it fuffice, that they both together make up that Cloud of Witnefes, whofe ftrength of evidence no arguments can refift, no arts elude, and no gloffes explain away: who through faith, and faith only, in the emphatical language of the Apoftle, fubdued kingdoms, wrought righteoufnefs, obtained promifes, ftopped the mouths of lions; were ftoned, were fawn afunder, were tempted, were flain with REV. Aug. 1759. L

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the fword; wandered about in fheep skins, and goat skins, being deftitute, afflicted, and tormented.

And now what will the boldcft objector be able to say to these things to deny their exiftence, is to contradict the ftream of all hiftory hold facred and profane ;-to impute them to any thing but faith, will never admit of any probable folution ;--to fay that this faith was vifionary and romantic, and not warranted by the genius of the Gospel, is to betray the profoundeft ignorance in the doctrines of Chrift: -To fay that faith might not be able to produce fuch effects in one age as it did in another, is denying the conftancy of the fame caufes, without affigning any reafon for their variation:-To give fome fhew of reafon for this from the prevalency of example, is lofing even that fhew before ex• ample did begin :-To come nearer yet to the real state of things, and fay, that in the various degrees of faith, the primitive Chriftians poffeffed the higheft, and the prefent the lowest, is not true in their fenfe; because the lowest degree of faith is fuppofed to be a full perfuafion of the divinity of the Gospel, and the highest can be no more :-To confefs then at laff, that the firit ages had uniformly this perfuafion, and these latter ages fall fhort of it, is in effect the whole of what we are contending for; and is, in effect, the only refuge the objectors themfelves can find.

For what does this confeffion mean; that this faith is irrefolute and feeble? that it fluctuates and wavers? that it wants the force and steadiness of conviction? that it rifes and finks by fits? that it is influenced by outward causes? that it is diflipated by pleafure, and fhrinks before pain? that it differs with times and feafons? is a faith of Sabbaths and new moons, and fhines out, or is overcaft by the correfponding brightnefs or gloom of the fun; that the little life which animates it is often utterly extinct? that it has fantaflic fucceffions of living and dying; and like the fabled foul of the philofopher, goes out, and returns at random? In a word, that it is deficient in fome part, and comes not up to its true and genuine ftandard ?-Here then, at laft, is discovered that spring of bitterness, that certain source from whence have flowed all thofe numerous evils, which fo long have deluged the Chriftian world.

So that the refult of the above-mentioned reafoning at length centers here, that the firft Chriftians, who lived fuitably to their profeffion, had a fleadfast and entire conviction of the truths of the Gofpel; and we, who live un

fuitably,

fuitably, have not: i. e. they had faith, and we have doubt ; and close by the fide of doubt fits utter infidelity; and round infidelity is fcattered confufion, and every evil work.'

The two last chapters of our author's work are very fhort, and are intended to anfwer fome objections to his principal defign, together with an application of the whole.

As to the merit of the performance, after the account we have given, little needs be faid. There are, undoubtedly, many juft obfervations to be met with in it: and on fuch general topics it would be ftrange if there were not; but what is advanced on the fubject of ridicule, is liable to many juft objections. The ftile and manner are affected throughout; and there is little precifion or accuracy in the author's reasonings; in a word, were we to fay that his work is A POMPOUS TRIFFLE, there are few readers, we apprehend, whose judg-' ment is worth regarding, that would think fuch a character of it too fevere. It is, at beft, but an imitation of Dr. Brown's juftly exploded Estimate.

R

A practical Treatife of Husbandry: Wherein are contained many ufeful and valuable Experiments and Obfervations in the New Hufbandry, collected during a Series of Years, by the celebrated M. Duhamel Du Monceau, Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, Fellow of the Royal Society, London, &c. Alfo the most approved Practice of the best English Farmers, in the old Method of Hufbandry. With Copper-Plates of feveral new and useful Inftruments. 4to. 16s. Whifton, &c.

M.

Duhamel, and his correfpondents, (as we are told in the preface to this work) have fet the world an example which has long been wanted, and greatly defired by all who have the good of their country at heart, and are in the leaft fenfible of the importance of agriculture. They have given us a series of experiments in this moft ufeful art, continued for feveral years together, with accuracy and judgment, and related in a clear, diftinct manner: which feems, indeed, to be the only method of arriving at perfection in a science, wherein theory alone can avail but little.

M. Duhamel's work, in the original, confifts of five volumes, published at different times; fo that we are not to expect a tranflation of the whole in the work before us: on the contrary, we are told by the writer of it, [Mr. JOHN MILLS]

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that

that he has tranflated only fuch experiments as feemed to him moft inftructive to his countrymen. And to render this treatife ftill more ufeful, he has alfo given, from the most approved English writers, what appeared to him beft in the modern practice of farming, either according to the old or new method. The plainnefs wherewith the whole is written, Mr. Mills hopes, will fhew, that his intention was to make it of as general use as poffible.

The editor proceeds, in the preface, to take notice of the various reafons, that have hitherto contributed to obftruct the fuccefs of the most generous attempts of individuals, in this particular branch of knowledge: and then adds.

But we promise ourselves, that it will be the happiness of the prefent age to fee every obftacle removed, which might retard a general improvement in husbandry, the genuine and original fource of the wealth and power of this ifland, as well as of its ornament and fecurity.

The Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, have taken THIS under THEIR peculiar care and what may we not expect from a fociety, the members whereof are fo well qualified to direct and improve the most useful inquiries; and who generously distribute their private bounties, to reward the labour, and indemnify the charge, of fuch experiments, as tend to ⚫ promote any useful knowledge, or national advantage!'

་

To the right honorable the prefident, and other members of the above-mentioned laudable fociety, Mr. Mills has infcribed his work: which is divided into four parts.-The first contains the general principles of Agriculture, together with the most approved practice in the old Hufbandry; the effential differences between which and the new, are pointed out in this part. The fecond, is confined to the culture of Wheat, according to the principles of the new hufbandry, the fuperior advantage of which, is proved by a series of many experiments. In the third part, the new husbandry is applied to the culture of other plants ufeful to the farmer.The defcriptions of the feveral inftruments used in the new hufbandry, are given in the fourth part, together with the plates [fix in number] whereon thofe inftruments are reprefented.

Part I. Chap, 1. Of Roots. As the culture beftowed upon the productions of the earth, acts principally upon the roots, and relates more immediately to them, than to any other part of plants, they are made the fubject of the first chapter; and

are