ciple on other fubftances, where chemifts would not think of looking for it. We fhall only mention an example or two:

Saltpetre," fays the Author, as chemifts know, or at least ought to know, is principally phlogiston. This is demonstrable, he afterwards fays, from its being produced in greater purity and abundance in hot countries; and from its high flate of inflammability, which is proved from its being the bafis of gun powder. Again, in fpeaking of the common experiment of decompounding lime-water, by means of fixed air, the Author tells us that a decompofition takes place, because the fixed air neutralifes itfelf with the phlogiston of the water, which kept the lime in folution.' The Author furely could not learn thefe ftrange doctrines in the fchool of Dr. Black; by whom, he tells us, he had the honour and happiness to be taught che miftry.'

Having fufficiently exhibited our opinion of this performance, it is but fair to give our Readers the Author's opinion of his own work; which is indeed very different from ours.- I think now,' fays he, after establishing this great dorine in this plain, obvious, and concife relation, which we have in this book laid down, that it will open to us the great arcana of nature, which all philofophers have been aiming at, and which has been fo long fo great a bar to (cience; having eluded the refearches of fuch a number of learned ages; and yet, before this publication, having been almoft as far from being discovered as ever; fome of the late doctrines tending rather to obfcure it.'

The philofophical Reader will not, we apprehend, be much prejudiced in favour of the great doctrine' here faid to be eftablifhed in this work; when he is told that the Author's fuppofed difcoveries relating to air, animal life, and more particu larly phlogiston, are the refults of a new planetary system of his own, which he had previously established,' and which differs, in fome points, confiderably from Newton's.'' Here,' fays he, I found out what phlogifton is, and what are its powers and effects;-fo that after I had thoroughly digefted my planetary fyftem upon paper, and then attended to its effects on animal, vegetable, and mineral life, I found not a great deal of difficulty in elucidating them, as I found out the great key before, in fearching for planetary life.'

It gives us pain to mortify a young adventurer in philofophy, who, in numerous paffages, expreffes his high opinion of the great importance of his difcoveries; and who does not appear to be in the leaft degree confcious that his extravagant the ory, or his great doctrine,' as he calls it, is confuted by a thousand facts or experiments, relating to phlogifton in particu lar, well known to every perfon converfant in inquiries of this

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nature.

!

not

nature. Though he expreffes his hopes, that the world will too feverely criticile upon his youthful labours;' we cannot avoid hinting to him having an eye to the future works, the publication of which he announces in this performancethat his progrefs.in true philofophy would have been greater, if, inftead of looking up to the planets for information, with respect to the fubjects of this treatife, he had condefcended to cultivate more affiduoufly that humbler kind of knowledge which is to be acquired.in the elaboratory, and in the works of those who have of late fo greatly enlightened the world by their experimental inveftigations. Even with respect to this last article, the philofophers of the present day will expect from him experiments better planned and executed; obfervations more direct and appofite to the subject of inquiry; and a mode of reasoning much closer, than are to be found in any part of this treatise; the language of which is, besides, in every page, remarkably ungrammatical,

ART. IV. A free and serious Addrefs to the Chrifiian Laity, efpecially fuch as, embracing Unitarian Sentiments, conform 10 Trinitarian Worship. To which is prefixed, An Introduction; wherein the Worthip of the Holy Scriptures is contrafted with the Worship of the Church of England, and of Diffenters. 8vo. I s. 6d. Johnfon. 1781.

THE

HE fubject of this publication is a matter of the greatest importance. The Author has treated it with a becoming ferioufnefs and earnestnefs. The doctrine of the Trinity is not only contained in the articles, but alfo interwoven with all the devotional fervices of the Church of England. The devotional exercises of the greater number of Diffenting congregations are likewife formed upon it. With what propriety, or good conscience, can Unitarians join in worship conducted in a manner fo repugnant to their fentiments? The pious Author of this Addrefs endeavours, from a variety of topics, to convince them that it is their duty to feparate them felves, and to form diftinct focieties. In order to give the greater weight to his arguments, he has prefixed an Introduction, in which he has placed upon oppofite pages, a number of rules, directions, and examples, refpecting the object of worship, prayers, benedictions, and doxologies, collected from the New Testament, and others contained in the Liturgy of the Church of England, and in the writings of fome eminent Diffenters. The contraft is manifeft, and can hardly fail of ftriking the most careless, or the moft prejudiced Reader. We shall give a fpecimen or two:

Directions,

Directions, &c. in the Liturgy of the Church of England.

"The Catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity." Athanafian Creed.

"Almighty and everlasting God, who haft given unto us, thy fervants, grace, by the confeffion of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the divine Majefty to wor fhip the Unity."

Collect for Trinity Sund. "Above all things ye muft give moft humble and hearty thanks to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, for the redemption of the world by the death and paffion of our Saviour Chrift.To him therefore, with the Father and the Holy Ghoft, let us give (as we are moft bounden) continual thanks."

Exhort. at the Commun. "Ye have prayed that our Lord Jefus Chrift would vouchfafe to receive him, to release him of his fins, to sanctify him with the Holy Ghoft, to give him the kingdom of Heaven, and everlasting life."

Public Bapt. for Infants.

N. B. This is the first mention that our Lord makes of prayer being offered up to God in his name. And it is remarkable, that though he tells them that he will do thofe things for them, which they fhall afk of the Father; yet he does not bid them to afk those things of him, but of the Father in his name. Surely, if in any cafe he had intended to direct them to offer up prayer to himself, it would have been in those cafes, where he would be the person to do those things for them which they asked.

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-Is

-Is not this inference neceffarily to be drawn from hence, That our Saviour intended to inftruct his difciples, that prayer was the peculiar honour due to the Father, the fame as under the Old Teftament, and as the light of reafon directs?----An Impartial Enquiry what is the TEST of our Saviour's Miracles, &c. Printed for Noon, 1750, p. 56, 57.'

ch. xvi. 23. And in that

day ye shall afk me nothing: verily, verily, I fay unto you, whatfoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

N. B. Left they fhould mistake and think they were to pray to him for any thing when he left them, and returned to the Father, he exprefsly forbids them to do it. In that day (fays he), ye shall afk me Nothing."

The Author produces many other paffages both from the Gofpels and from the, Epiftles, in which the Father is reprefented as the fole object of prayer and praife. We proceed to make an extract from another fection of the Introduction:

• Doxologies collected from the Directions, &c. as to the ObNew Teftament.