ART. X. The Proteftant's Prayer-book: or, Stated and Occafional Devotions for Families and private Perfons, and Difcourfes on the Gift, Grace, and Spirit of Prayer; together with Eflays on the Chriftian Sabbath, Baptifm, and the Lord's Supper. To which are added Hymns, adapted to Social and Secret Worship. 8vo. Baldwin. 1783.

HE characterifticks of this well-meant publication are To the fincere lovers of the gospel it will prove the means of much valuable inftruction. On the fubject of prayer, the Author is very full. The inftructions he gives have a manifeft tendency to regulate and heighten the feelings of true devotion, and teach the expreffions which are the moft proper figns of thofe feelings.

Tplainners, and unaffected piety.

In the effays on the chriftian fabbath, baptifm, and the lord's fupper, the Author makes a variety of very judicious obfervations. He clearly fhews the propriety, and the neceffity of dedicating the fabbath day to the fervice of the Almighty. He lays before all mankind, but in particular the youth of both fexes, the danger to which they expose themselves by neglecting to attend frequently and devoutly at the table of the lord. Concerning baptifm he fays,

'Some who offer their children to this ordinance, feem to entertain wrong notions of it. As when parents imagine that the baptifm of an infant confifts IN JUST GIVING THE NAME. Whereas naming the infant on this occafion, is a thing diftinct from the ordinance itfelf; fo that the baptifm would be perfect, if there was no mention made of it, but the minifter was to exprefs himself thus-Child, I baptize thee, &c.-However, as the Jews named their children at the time of circumcifion, Luke ii. 21. the fame custom has been adopted by chriftians at the time of baptism, and when 'tis confidered as an addrefs to the perfon calling him by his name, rather than as the manner of giving a name to him, it is ufed with propriety.*

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Again, we conceive thofe to be mistaken, who lay fuch a vast ftrefs upon baptifm, as if it were NECESSARY TO THE SALVATION OF INFANTS. Nevertheless, we own that the ordinance as applied to infants may answer feveral worthy ends of religion.---For example, as infants fuffer in confequence of their relation to Adam, baptifm may be viewed as an outward fign which movingly fets forth of God towards infants; or eyes of parents, the grace their intereft in the bleflings which come by Chrift, Rom. v. 1419. Mark x. 14, and Luke xviii. 15, 16.†-The facred vows too

before the

made

* Dr. DODDRIGE in his preaching Lectures, advites his pupils (when fettled in the miniftry) to take care that the name of the child be fo mentioned, that it may evidently be feen, that the end of the ordinance is not giving the name, but fomething far more im

portant.

Some may imagine, that those who do not hold with infant ENG. REV. Vol. III. Jan. 1784.

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baptifm

made by parents on this occafion, tend to quicken them in their duty towards their off-fpring, Prov. xxxi. 2. Pfal. cxix. 106.--And fince baptifm is an obligation to after holiness of life (like circumcifion, Gal. v. 3.) is not peculiar weight hereby given to the admonitions minifters or others addrefs to these children, as they grow up?

The fcope of all that this pious Author has written we learn from what follows

Having gone through, (fays he,) the propofed hints, I fhall finish with earnestly intreating every Reader vigorously to pursue the interest of the foul, for this is the one thing needful.-Needful to our true peace in life, needful to our comfort when death makes his fpeedy approach, needful to guide us through the valley of the fhadow of death, and needful to fecure our happiness through the endless ages of eternity."

ART. XI. The Herald of Literature; or, a Review of the most confiderable Publications that will be made in the Course of the Enfuing Winter with Extracts. 8vo. 2s. Murray,

review books that have not yet been published, is a

Ttark well worthy of the fatirical pen. The idea is cer

tainly a good one; as we fcarcely know any thing that can give more fcope for ridicule, or even commendation. Our Author has been very fuccefsful in this first attempt, in which he exhibits Gibbon's History, vols iv, v, vi, vii.—Robertfon's America vols iii. and iv.-Louifa by the Author of Cecilia. Hayley's Effay on Novel.-Dr. Beattie's Inkle and Yarico.--Paine's Reflections on the Prefent State of the United States of America, and a Speech by Mr. Burke, with fome others of lefs note.

The language of our Author is generally elegant, and his fentiments are the fentiments of a man well acquainted with his fubject, and although the juftnefs of fome of them may be queftioned, they will always please by the emphatic manner and happy choice of forcible language. His imitations of Robertfon and Gibbon are by far the beft; the monotony

baptifm, entertain very gloomy fentiments about the future ftate of infants. But this is an error. For (among others) Dr. STENNETT has obferved, that he thinks it highly probable from thefe paffages, that all who die in their infancy are admitted to Heaven---being fitted for it by the holy Spirit. STENNETT on Baptifm, p. 54, 64. The above fcriptural hints may ferve to fatisfy the minds of fuch chriftian parents, whofe infants have been fuddenly remov❜d by death, before they had an opportunity of prefenting them to God in the ordinance of baptifm.

Read alfo Deut, xxix. 10, 11, 12, 14, 15.

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of the former, and the figurative and fwelling energy of the latter are well imitated. The Reader may judge from the following specimen from Robertson's Hiftory of America.

The following is Dr. Robertfon's account of the declaration of independence. It is by this time fufficiently visible, that the men, who took upon themselves to be most active in directing the American counfels, were men of deep defign and extenfive ambition, who, by no means confined their views to the redress of those grievances of which they complained, and which ferved them for inftruments in the purfuit of objects lefs popular and fpecious; by degrees they fought to undermine the allegiance, and diffolve the ties, which connected the colonies with the parent country of Britain. Every step that was taken by her miniftry to restore tranquil lity to the empire, was artfully mifreprefented by the zealots of faetion. Every unguarded expreffion, or unfortunate measure of ir ritation was exaggerated by leaders, who confidered their own honour and dignity as infeparable from further advances, and predicted treachery and infult as the confequences of retreating. They now imagined they had met with a favourable opportunity for proceding to extremities. Their influence was greatest in the general congrefs, and by their means a circular manifefto was issued by that affembly intended to afcertain the difpofition of the feveral colonies refpecting a declaration of independence.

They called their countrymen to witnefs how real had been their grievances, and how moderate their claims. They faid, it was impoffible to have proceeded with more temper, or greater deliberation, but that their complaints had been conftantly fuperfeded, their petitions to the throne rejected. The administration of Great Britain had not hesitated to attempt to starve them to furrender, and having mifcarried in this, they were ready to employ the whole force of their country, with all the foreign auxiliaries they could obtain, in profecution of their unjuft and tyrannical purposes. They were precipitated, it was faid, by Britain into a state of hoftility, and there no longer remained for them a liberty of choice. They must either throw down their arms, and expect the clemency of men who had acted as the enemies of their rights; or they muit confider themselves as in a state of warfare and abide by the confequences of that ftate. Warfare involved independency, without this their efforts must be irregular, feeble, and without all profpect of fuccefs; they could poffefs no power to fupprefs mutinies, or to punifh confpiracies; nor could they expect countenance and fupport from any of the ftates of Europe, however they might be inclined to favour them, while they acknowledged themselves to be fubjects, and it was uncertain how foon they might facrifice their friends and allies to the hopes of a re-union. To look back, they were told, to the king of England, after all the infults they had experienced, and the hoftilities that were begun, would be the height of pufillanimity and weaknefs. They were bid to think a little for their pofterity, who by the irrefiftible laws of nature and fituation, could have no alternative left them but to be flaves or independent, Finally, many fubtle reasonings were alledged, to

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evince

evince the advantages they must derive from intrinfic legiflation, and general commerce.

'On the other hand, the middle and temperate party, reprefented this ftep as unneceffary, uncertain in its benefits, and irretrievable in its confequences. They expatiated on the advantages that had long been experienced by the colonifts from the fostering care of Great Britain, the generofity of the efforts fhe had made to protect them, and the happiness they had known under her aufpicious patronage. They reprefented their doubt of the ability of the colonies to defend themfelves without her alliance. They itated the neceffity of a common fuperior to balance the feparate and difcordant interests of the different provinces. They dwelt upon the miferies of an interual and doubtful struggle, determined never to depart from the affertion of what they confidered as their indefeasible right, they would inceffantly belicge the throne with their humble remonfrances. They would feek the clemency of England, rather than the alliance of thofe powers, whom they conceived to be the real enemies of both; nor would they ever be acceflary to the fhutting the door of reconciliation.

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But the voice of moderation is feldom heard amidst the turbu lence of civil diffention. Violent counfels prevailed. The decisive and irrevocable ftep was made on the 4th of July 1776. It remains with potterity to decide upon its merits. Since that time it has indeed received the fanction of military fuccefs; but whatever confequence it may produce to America, the fatal day muft ever be regretted by every fincere friend to the British empire.'

The extracts from Gibbon, Hayley, and Beattie, are not lefs juft and entertaining, and the whole afford the reader a new species of amusement, inafmuch as our author has pointed out a new fource of fatire.

ART. XII. An Introduction to Logography, or the Art of arranging and compofing for Printing with words intire, their Radices and Terminations, inflead of fingle Letters: By his Majefty's Royal Letters Patent, by Henry Johnfon Svo. 2s. Walter, 1783.

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HIS is an ingenious attempt towards improving a very useful art; and although we may diffent from the Author, in regard to fome of his pofitions, we ftill think his ingenuity and induftry well intitled to publick favour and reward. With refpect to aftronomical, mathematical, or arithmatical tables, and various kinds of figure work, this fpecies of printing will undoubtedly have confiderable advantages, in point of correctnefs as well as expedition; but we do not think its utility can be extended in any great degree to printing in general.

Before we proceed to affign our reafons for this opinion, we fhall lay before our readers Mr. Johnson's account of the circumftances which led to the invention or improvement here recommended.

'The

The Author about five years ago intending to publish a daily Lift of Blanks and Prizes in the Lottery, numerically arranged, which had never been attempted before, finding that in the usual method of printing, it could not be effected on the evening of each day's drawing, and if longer delayed, the purpofe was defeated, devifed a method of expediting the Butineis, by having Types of two, three, four, or five Figures, as required to form each number, compofed in one body, instead of having them feparate, according to the ordinary mode both in Letter and Figure printing; as by this means any intire number may be taken up ready compofed, with exactly the fame Difpatch that every fingle Figure required; confequently the work is performed in one fixth part of the ufual time, with the additional advantage of there being no poffibility of misplacing, inverting, or fubftituting one Figure for another,

Since this invention, which has anfwered every expectation, and is now used in printing what is called the Patent Lift, the Author wanting to form fome large mercantile Tables, confifting of Fonds, Shillings, Pence and Farthings, conceived that this might admit of fimilar improvement, and for the purpofe procured Types for any fum of money, or other number, ready compofed and united, by which every ipecies of figure-printing could be performed for the tenth part of the common cost, Printers always charging it double the price of Letter-printing; and from the quantity of work done in that Branch, this improvement alone would command every prefe rence from the Correctnefs, Expedition, and Cheapness of it.

This fuccefs led to the confideration, Whether an improvement, with the advantages already defcribed, could not be devifed in printing with words ?

The Author goes on to give fome account of the experiments he made towards afcertaining the number of words in the English language, which thews him to be poffeffed of a confiderable fhare of acutenefs and perfeverance.

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ift, A collection has been made of all the words in the English. Language from the best Dictionaries, with the Addition of Tenfes, Plurals, and Degrees of comparifon, which amount to above one hundred thousand.

2d, Collections alfo have been made of all the words contained in the mifcellaneous part of twenty News Papers, the Spectator, and Common Prayer Book, which have been obtained in the following manner, as found by Experience to have been the best mode of executing it in that ftage of the procefs, namely,-Duplicates of every feet were procured, that each alternate fide might be patted over with white paper, in order to leave the whole of the words on both fides perfect, which was done with the View of rendering it more tangible when divided into fuch fmall parts, every word being separately cut out: and alfo to prevent Confufion from the parts of other words being feen at the oppofite fide.

"The words thus feparated were then dropt into a cafe marked with the divifions from one to fixteen, according to the number of Letters contained in each Word, and by this means thofe of two, three, four or more Letters, were diftinctly collected; then each distinct parcel were forted into another Cafe, (containing twenty fix. divilions

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