that in races which are experiencing the effect of civilization, a temperate climate increases the tendency to the light varieties, and therefore may be the means of promoting and rendering the effect of that important principle more general and more conspicuous." P. 230.

The four next chapters contain an entertaining account of the physical history of the most remarkable races of men, of the South Sea and Indian islanders, &c. &c. The common origin of the ancient Indians and Egyptians has been traced with much learning and ingenuity, and we congratulate our author upon going over the ground of Bryant and Maurice with so much success. Dr. P. then proceeds to consider the other principal races of men, the Germans, the Cimmerii, the Getæ, the Goths, the Pelasgians, &c. and their connexion with the foregoing. Upon the history of this latter race of men, we are now in anxious expectation of a far more extensive treatise from the hands of Dr. Marsh, from whose luminous and comprehensive view of any subject in which he is engaged, we augur much success in this new enquiry. The following is our author's view of the probable history of the settlements and emigrations of the human species.

"The countries bounded on the East and West by the Ganges and the Nile, on the North by the Caspian lake and the mountainous ridges of Parapamisus and Imaus, and on the South by the Erythræan sea or Indian ocean, appear to have been the region in which mankind first advanced to civilization. It is highly probable that these countries were the primitive abode of our species, in which alone therefore it can properly be considered as indige

nous.

"In the first ages, previous to the origin of the most simple arts, while men were as yet too rude to acquire their sustenance by hunting, (or if we receive the Scriptural account of the deluge, before the woods were filled with wild animals,) they apparently obtained their food chiefly by fishing along the sea-shores, or depended for a still more precarious supply on the scanty fruits of the earth. In this state they would of necessity lead a wandering life and extend themselves widely. Different tribes of ichthyophagi or of roaming savages were scattered on each side of the primitive region, wherever an easy progress lay open to them, along the coasts or through the woods of Africa, and around the shores of the Indian islands, of New Guinea and Australasia. To these regions we have traced them in the foregoing pages. The descendants of these dispersed races are still found in the same abodes nearly in their original unimproved condition, savages and negroes, such as we have seen that the stock of their ancestors the primeval inhabitants of Egypt and India were.

"These were the most ancient colonies which emigrated into the distant parts of the earth. Accordingly they exhibit no affini

ties with the central nations in their languages, manners, or superstitions. For they went forth when language was as yet imperfectly formed, before manners had acquired any peculiar character, and previous to the age of idolatry.

"The condition of mankind in their primeval seats improved. They became hunters, and afterwards shepherds. Sabaism or the worship of the heavenly bodies now prevailed among them. Some tribes of hunters and perhaps of shepherds, ascended the chain of Parapamisus, and spread themselves gradually over the high central plain of Asia, on one side into Siberia and Scandinavia, and on the other into Kamtschatka, and through the adjacent and probably then connected Continent of America. These are the Mongoles and other similar races whom we have traced through Asia, and the North of Europe, and the primitive inhabitants of the New World. In the languages of these nations, though much diversified and very imperfect in structure, a certain degree of affinity may be clearly marked. In their superstitions vestiges remain of the primitive Sabaism, even in their more distant settlements. Their physical characters resemble. In other particulars proofs may be collected in many remote regions of the common origin of these races.

"Meanwhile agriculture was invented in Asia, and the division of labour connected with the institution of casts, which seems to have extended through all the primitive region, gave a new character to human society. The establishment of a governing or military class, and of a sacerdotal class, gave birth to political order. The priests mingling allegory and fable with the early Sabaism, and with the relics of genuine theism and true historical tradition, which had probably been preserved in a few families, framed a complex system of mythology. The mysteries were invented. Philosophy began to be cultivated, and a more perfect language was formed.

"The Celta under their Druids, a branch of the eastern hierarchy, advanced into the furthest West, where perhaps some vestiges of previous colonists may be found. They carried with them the mysteries, the doctrine of metempsychosis, the rites of polytheism, the philosophy and the language of the East.

"The Pelasgian and Thracian races established themselves in Asia Minor and passed the Hellespont into Thrace. The former colonized Greece and Italy. The latter passed to the northward of the Danube into the Dacian or Getic country. Tribes of this nation wandered at a later period through the forests of Germany, where they multiplied and encroached upon the Celta. Lastly the Medes, delighting in their herds of horses, advanced through the Euxine borders into Scythia and Sarmatia.

"That all these nations, the Celta, the Pelasgi, the Goths and the Sarmata were comparatively late colonists from Asia we may safely assert, when we consider the strong affinities discoverable in their customs, in their religious rites and doctrines, and in their

dialects

dialects which are clearly branches of the Sanscrit and old Persic, and when we remark that most of them may be traced in history still preserved from their primitive settlements in the East." P.554.

We cannot take our leave of Dr. Prichard without expressing the gratification which we have received in the perusal of his learned, ingenious, and satisfactory treatise. Every fact which he has produced, every argument he has enforced, and every inference he has drawn, has a most powerful tendency to confirm beyond the reach of contradiction, the truth of the Mosaic history, and we therefore consider that the volume before us may have a beneficial tendency in repressing the idle speculations of theorizing sciolists, and to crush the petulant objections of superficial infidels. The mystery of human nature, both in its natural and its moral construction cannot ever be satisfactorily solved by our weak and contracted understandings; but it can be explained in a sufficient degree to answer all the purposes of man; there is enough, and more than enough to satisfy him of the providence, the benevolence, and the uniform interference of our great Moral Governor, to strengthen the foundations of his laws, to confirm the authority of his word, and to shew that in the Scriptures are hidden the treasures of all knowledge, and the revelation of all truth.

BRITISH CATALOGUE.

DIVINITY.

ART. VII. Critical and practical Lectures on the Apocalyp tical Epistles to the Seven Churches of Asia. By Samuel Kittle, Minister of the Gospel. Svo. 8s. Baynes. 1814. The three characteristic features of this volume are ignorance, perversion, and bitterness. There is not sufficient ability displayed in the execution of the work to justify any long discussion upon its merits, we shall therefore give a specimen or two of each of these qualities, and we can most faithfully assure our readers that there is scarcely a page throughout the whole volume, in which one or other of these leading features are not equally conspicuous.

I. Ignorance.

"THYATIRA, laxity of Church discipline. The name signifies a daughter a little daughter, and may either signify the true

Church

Church under the oppression of the Church of Rome; or the Church of Rome may so be called herself, either on account of her effeminacy in worshiping the Virgin Mary; or by changing the name to Thumatira, from Ovulaw, to fume, or burn incense, the Church of Rome might be called so from her frequently burning alive the true professors of the Gospel."

It is hardly credible that any one, calling himself a minister of the Gospel, should unblushingly expose such excessive iguorance and absurdity.

Proceed we now to a specimen of Mr. Kittle's powers of perversion:

"True uniformity in Religion consists in nothing less than having Christ formed in us the hope of glory, making his people ONE in the spirituality of their minds, the sublimity of their hopes, and the benevolence of their designs. Wherever uniformity in these things is found to exist among professed Christians, the smaller matters of modes of discipline, and points of doctrine are but trifles that do not affect the essentials of religion."

In another place we are told that " a church means a particular congregation or assembly, either actually convened, or accustomed to convene (for religious worship) in the same place." The followers therefore of Joanna Southcott are a church, the Jewish synagogue is a church, a Mahometan mosque is a church.

At one time Mr. Kittle teems with spirituality and universal benevolence and toleration-at another he informs us that "if a minister on tender examination finds a person grossly ignorant of the first principles of the Gospel of Christ, or has reason to believe that he has no evangelical experience of the power of these things upon his heart, he must refuse to admit such an one to the Lord's table."

But all this is exceedingly mild and tolerant, when compared with the bitterness of his hatred and the presumptuous appropriation of the power and attributes of the Almighty in condemning the Pharisee, (the cant term for a true son of the Church of England,) to everlasting punishment.

"Alas! for the Pharisee, he knows nothing of this evangelical experience, has no taste for these spiritual exercises, and cannot join the redeemed in their triumphant song. He dwells upon

his own excellencies, the praises of heaven do not accord with his feelings, nor is he any suitable companion for those who have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

"In fine, the self-righteous cannot be admitted into heaven, as they are destitute of the pre-requisite qualifications, which alone can give a meetness for that state of delight. What then,

must

must become of them! O, sad to tell! they must be shut out of heaven, and with the fearful and the abominable, have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.' Well may Bazil bring in Satan as insulting over these characters, saying to Christ, I have them! for all thy blood and miracles, thy,wooings and beseechings, thy knockings and strivings. I have "cozened Thee out of them at the very gates of heaven.' O how dreadful! after so fair a show, to have the only Judge and Saviour say, I never knew you,-depart from me.'-'How camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?-Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Well may they weep, when they behold the patriarchs, and prophets, and apostles, and believers of all nations and ages, sitting down in the kingdom of God, and themselves thrust out." P. 41.

ART. VIII. A Sermon preached before the University of Oxford at St. Mary's, on Act Sunday, July 3, 1814. Printed by desire of the Vice Chancellor. By E. Nares, D.D. Regius Professor of Modern History. Cooke and Parker, Oxford. Rivingtons, London. 1814.

Much ingenuity and sound principle are displayed by the learned preacher in the discourse before us. His text is from 1 Cor. i. 20. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? He successfully shews that God by the revelation of the great scheme of the Christian redemption has made foolish the wisdom of this world, by plainly and decisively evincing the utter insufficiency of natural religion and the researches of unassisted reason to satisfy the inquisitive and anxious mind of man,

He then proceeds to draw a distinction between the wisdom "of this world" which the apostle condemns, and that wisdom which enables us to preserve the word of life free from all misrepresentation and perversion, to illustrate, to enforce, to defend the sacred truths of the gospel.

pre

"We cannot cast our eyes or thoughts around us, without being struck with the sad discordancies of opinion prevailing in regard to the interpretation of that very book of life, on which all our hopes must rest. Nor is the book itself, though in a state of servation almost, if not entirely, miraculous, (considering the lapse of ages and hazard of transmission,) so absolutely perfect, as to need no aid of worldly wisdom to ascertain the exact amount of its evidence. If we take only a cursory view of the accidents that have befallen the text of scripture, sinec the loss of the autographs of

the