"Were the inhabitants of a large town, where mendicity is prevalent, to fubfcribe only half the fums annually which are extorted from them by beggars, I am confident it would be quite fufficient, with a proper arrangement, for the comfortable fupport of the poor of all denominations."

In the fecond and third chapters, the firft of which treats of the extent of an establishment for the poor, &c. and the second of the general directions of the affairs of fuch an inftitution, the author is fo very definite and particular, as perhaps to exceed the limits of practicability. He proposes to numerate the houses, to divide each parifh into districts, to appoint a committee for each diftrict, &c. &c. Time and experience only can inform us how far thofe numerous and minute regulations can be kept in force, in fuch a capital as London or Paris, where a continual and fupendous change of individuals, of habitations, and of interefts, may perhaps disappoint the diligence of thousand inspectors and commiflioners. We would not, however, be underttood to mean any difapprobatioa of fuch an institution. On the contrary, we with it all the fuccefs that a benevolent mind may reasonably expect; but we only mean to fubmit the remark to the confideration of perfons much verfed in the regulations of public affairs.

In the fourth chapter, which treats of the spirit of industry which ought to be introduced among the poor, and of a scheme for feeding them, this author thows, that, for the attainment of the first obje&, force or coercive means will not do. “Addrefs," fays he, "not force, must be used on thofe occafions."

"The children in the house of induftry at Munich, who, being placed upon elevated feats round the hall, where other children worked, were made to be idle fpectators of that amusing scene, cried moft bitterly when their request to be permitted to defcend from their places, and mix in that bufy crowd, was refufed; but they would, moft probably, have cried fill more, had they been taken abruptly from their play and forced to work."

Men are children of a larger growth; and thofe who undertake to direct them, ought ever to bear in mind that important truth.

"That impatience of control, and jealoufy and obftinate perfeverance in maintaining the rights of perfonal liberty and independence, which fo ftrongly mark the human.character in all the stages of life, must be managed with great caution and addrefs, by thofe who are defirous of doing good; or, indeed, of doing any thing effectually with mankind.

"It has often been faid, that the poor are vicious and profligate, and that, therefore, nothing but force will anfwer to make them obedient, and keep them in order; but I mould fay, that because the poor are vicious and profligate, it is fo much the more neceffary to avoid the

appearance

appearance of force in the management of them, to prevent their becoming rebellious and incorrigible."

And farther on he obferves, that

"Rewards and punishments are the only means by which mankind can be controlled and directed; and yet how often do we fee them difpenfed in the most carelefs, molt imprudent, and moft improper manner! how often are they confounded!-how often mifapplied!—and how often do we fee them made the inftruments of gratifying the moft fordid private pafiions!

"To the improper ufe of them may be attributed all the diforders of civil fociety. To the improper or carelefs ufe of them may, moft unqueftionably, be attributed the prevale..ce of poverty, mifery, and mendicity in moft countries, and par icularly in Great Britain, where the healthfulness and mildness of the climate-the fertility of the foilthe abundance of fuel--the numerous and flourishing manufacturesthe extenfive commerce-and the millions of acres of waste lands which ftill remain to be cultivated, furnish the means of giving ufeful employment to all its inhabitants, and even to a much more numerous population."

Respecting the article of food, Count Rumford expreffes his fentiments in a paper, contained in this chapter, and entitled, Propofals for forming an Establishment for feeding the Poor, and giving them ufeful Employment; and alfo for furnishing Food at a cheap Rate, to others who may ftand in need of it, &c. &c.

The contents of fuch propofals are not fufceptible of any fufficient abridgment.

In the faith chapter, which is entitled, Of the Means which may be used by Individuals in affluent Circumflances, for the Relief of the Poor in their Neighbourhood, the author juftly cenfures fuch an improper mode of diftributing alms as is generally practifed by the rich, who feldom difcriminate between deferving and undeserving objects; and in order to render their charitable donations more efficacious, he recommends the formation of

"A general establishment for giving them ufeful employment, and furnishing them with the neceffaries of life at a cheap rate; in fhort, forming a public establishment fi uilar in all refpects to that already recommended, and making it as extenfive as circumftances will permit.

"An experiment might first be made in a fingle village, or in a fingle parish; a small houfe, or two or three rooms only, might be fitted up for the reception of the poor, and particularly of the children of the poor; and to prevent the bad impreffions which are fometimes made, by names which have become odious, inttead of calling it a workhoufe, it might be called A School of Industry, or, perhaps, Afylum would be a better name for it. One of thefe rooms fhould be fitted up as a kitchen, for cooking for the poor; and a middle-aged woman of refpectable character, and, above all, of a gentle and humane difpofition, fhould be placed at the head of this little establishment, and lodged in the houfe"

The particular regulations of an inftitution of this fort, namely, fuch as relate to the articles of morality, food, inftruction, &c. conclude this last chapter of the fecond Essay.

(To be continued.)

ART. IX. Four Effays, on the ordinary and extraordinary Operations of the Holy Spirit; on the Application of Experience to Religion; and on Enthusiasm and Fanaticism. To which is prefixed, a Preliminary Dissertation, on the Nature of clear Ideas, and the Advantage of diftin&t Knowledge. In thefe Effays, the Nature of the Opinions maintained, the Juftnefs of the Reafoning employed, and the Propriety of the Language adopted in the Scripture Characters of the Rev. Thomas Robinfon, are fully confidered. 8vo. 115 pp. Rivingtons, &c. 1797.

2s. 6d.

STRONGER evidence of a clear, found, and difcrintiA nating understanding, than appears in thefe Effays, we have not often obferved. The author diffecting with severity, but with juftice, a work which we formerly commended as pious and well-intentioned*, and which he allows to be the fame (p. 108, &c.) finds in it the feeds of many opinions which he cenfures as unfound, and as belonging to the principles of Methodism. As we have, with due exceptions, more than once commended works for their piety which had, in parts, a fimilar tendency, we are defirous here to introduce the definition given by this author of METHODISM, as that by which we alfo are willing to abide. On the word Methodifis he has this note.

"I would not be thought to countenance an unmeaning, much lefs an injurious appellation; but perhaps this appellation may lofe that indiftinnefs which has been objected to it, if it fhould be applied only to thofe, who either deny the existence of the law of Nature, or who lay claim to knowledge received immediately from God, or acquired by the ufe of a fupernatural perceptive power, given of God exprefsly for this purpose to fome particular perfons; and fuch knowledge which is not, and (as is affirmed by thofe who lay this claim) cannot be acquired by the ufe of any natural faculty, or by reafoning or by inftruction." P. 44:

Robinson's Scripture Characters, Brit. Crit. vol. iv, p. 260.

The

The latter divifion, at leaft, of this definition accords perfectly with our ideas; though it is not equally clear to us what the author means by the former part, denying the Law of Nature." We do not recollect this feature in the portrait of that perfuafion. The other, however, feems to characterize it fufficiently. It is unneceffary for us to ftate the subjects of thefe Ellays, fince the author has recounted them in his title page. It is our part to declare, that thofe important fubjects are treated in them with uncommon precifion and perfpicuity; and that, confidered with attention, they ftrongly tend to remove all fanciful and inaccurate notions refpecting infpiration, and to fhut the door against fanaticifm, without any injury to ge nuine religion. We might indeed have fufpected, from fome expreffions introduced in the courfe of argument*, (in p. 110), that the author is no friend to the orthodox doctrine refpecting the Divinity of the Saviour, but this fufpicion is precluded by his pofitive affertion of it in a preceding paffage (p. 54). In the Preliminary Differtation, the powers and operations of our minds are briefly, yet diftinctly explained. The business of the two first Effays being to diftinguish the extraordinary from the ordinary operations of the Holy Spirit, the criterion is drawn from the acknowledged purpofes of each. The extraordinary gifts were beftowed upon the Apoftles to enable them with authority to teach mankind, and to approve their miffion to them. The ordinary gifts are intended for the benefit or fanctification of each individual. From thefe different purposes may be understood the leading differences of thefe gifts; and particularly, that the former are of neceffity attended with the confcioufnefs that they are divinely communicated; the latter are not fo.

"It is neceffary that thofe, to whom a revelation is made immediately from God, fhould not only perfectly underftand what is revealed to them, but also that it is fo revealed. Without this (additional) information, the truths vouchfafed to them would only stand upon the fame footing as all other human truth; for, it is the knowledge that these truths are immediately derived from God that gives to them divine authority and, were the receivers ignorant of this derivation, they would alfo be ignorant of their own office, and of the proper mode of executing it. But, in the ordinary operations of the Spirit, it is by

* This argument, we may obferve in tranfitu, feems to us the only weak one in the book. The author fays, "Now if the fame nature which finned atoned; the divine nature can have no concern in the atonement, for furely the divine nature did not fin." No certainly. But though Chrift therefore became Man, he was perfect God, as well as perfect Man,

no means neceffary for the fanctification of any man that he fhould know either when he has the affiftance of the Spirit, or in what manner that affiftance is adminiftered unto him. It is fufficient if the certainty of this affiftance, at fome time and in fome manner, is declared by thofe to whom the revelation was originally made. An apprehenfion in men that they know thefe two circumstances may poffibly be attended with much mifchief; while it is utterly impoffible, that any the leaft benefit can be derived from fuch knowledge." P. 26.

In the third Effay, the author carefully diftinguifhes faith from experience, and by that definition is led to animadvert upon feveral improper expreffions of Mr. Robinson. The fourth Effay defines Enthufiafm and Fanaticifm; and the manner in which the definition is introduced is particularly fatisfactory and clear.

or,

"Men can receive knowledge only in two ways,

66

1. By the use of thofe faculties their Creator has given them;

2. By fuck communication from himself as he think may proper. "The knowledge men receive by the ufe of their various faculties is very imperfect; it is liable to be mixed with crror, owing to the imperfection of thefe faculties, which are much limited in power and extent. The knowledge received from God, as far as it reaches, is liable to no mixture of error; but then men must be made fure that their knowledge is received from God before they can claim infalli bility; and they must be enabled to work miracles before they can demand this claim to be admitted by other men. We can conceive no other mark of a mcffage from God, than a power in him who is entrufted with it of altering the established courfe of Ged's appointments; and, unless both the meffenger himself know that he is entrusted with a divine meffage, and thofe to whom he is fent are equally fenfible of the fame truth, every conceivable end of revelation is loft; for, the only ufe of revelation which we can imagine, is to introduce the immediate and indifputable authority of God into buman affairs. By Enthufiafm and Fanaticifm, then, I understand an unfupported claim to IMMEDIATE and SENSIBLE intercourfe with God. The enthufiaft fuppofes himfelf in poffeffion of knowledge, the fanatic of directions, iminediately (and miraculoufly) communicated to him from God himfelf; but neither of them produce any credentials to cftablish this claim.

46

"Thofe perfons, then, who object to fervour in religion, as being enthufiaftical or fanatical, know not the meaning of the words. The objection is ridiculous; the complaint impofiible. Enthufiafm and Fanaticifm have no more to do with the difpofitions or affections of the human mind, than they have to do with the human will or the human memory. Both belong to the imagination; both confift in a conceit of and claim to apoftolical or prophetical powers, unattended with the poff ffion of apoftolical or prophetical credentials; and the admiflion of juch a claim, without its proper fupport, would completely

overturn