ART. XIV. A true and faithful Account of the Island of Veritas; together with the Forms of their Liturgy; and a full Relation of the religious Opinions of the Veritafians, as delivered in feveral Sermons juft published in Veritas. 8vo. 2s. 6d. fewed. Stalker. 1788.

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ULLIVER's Travels have been confidered as a malignant fatire on mankind; but they had novelty and pleafantry enough to recommend them to fportful imaginations: and though there are always writers who are emulous of the fame of Swift, yet perhaps there is little caufe to regret the paucity of those, who, with like difpofitions, poffefs his literary abilities*. Those who catch up the ideas of celebrated authors, and aim at parfuing their plans, work with fecond hand materials; and, not ftriking our imaginations by originality, generally ficken us by infipidity. To this remark we may add, that when a writer calls our attention to ferious fubjects, and profeffes to inculcate important truths, the vehicle of fiction is unfuitable, and therefore unpleafing.

To apply thefe remarks to the prefent occafion:-the writer before us, conveys us, abruptly, to a fictitious ifland, which he chufes to call Veritas! and while he attempts to correct our opinions and practices in government and religion (our mott interefting concerns), he is telling us an ill-imagined ftory, deftitute even of the deceitful merit of plaufibility: fo that if we credit him for good intention, we cannot extend the compliment to his judgment in the execution. The ifland of Veritas is a religious Unitarian Utopia, governed by laws fimilar to those of Britain, fubject to the emendations of the author: the American revolution has formed abundance of legiflators on both fides of the Atlantic ocean!

As a reformation in religion is the principal object of this author, we fhall pafs over his politics, after producing one inftance from his code of penal laws:

Murder they esteem the most atrocious crime, yet they believe they should not be juftified in taking the life of the murderer; becaufe, as the offence is against God, immediate human punishment may prevent the effect of repentance, and a foul may thereby be destroyed.

But as the murderer cannot expect favour from fociety, they therefore condemn him to perpetual folitary imprisonment; where,

*The prefent performance is indeed more in the manner of the Utopia; but the direct attacks of the writer being pointed against the religion of his country, we own that Dean Swift took place of Sir Thomas More, in our recollection. After all, the island of Veritas might have a far more humble origin, that will presently be mentioned.

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provided with good books, he is left to endeavour to appease his God, for a wrong he never can reinftate to man. — He has food fufficient to keep him alive, brought to him once a-day by the gaoler, who is forbidden ever to speak to him.'

Murder is not merely an offence, fpeculatively, against God, but most materially injurious to fociety; and though all forfeited lives ought rather to be devoted to laborious works of atonement, than to be extinguifhed, which is not only aggravating the lofs of lives to fociety, but in respect of atrocious crimes, would, in fome cafes, meet the wishes of the offenders: yet to punish them according to this unprofitable plan, would have no better effect than to increase their guilt in the fight of God, by exciting all fuch miferable wretches to hang themfelves!

The Author has given us a reformed edition of the current offices in our Book of Common Prayer, according to the declared ufage of his ifland of Veritas; but we do not perceive, that, excepting his modifying the expreffions to an unitarian ftandard, he has done any thing toward forming a morning and evening service more fimple and connected than what hath been done already. Under his correcting hand they ftill continue disjointed tautological repetitions of detached addreffes to the Deity, in a mode that would never be offered to any earthly potentate. But why adopt the form and phrafeology of our Common Prayer; why profefs a reverence for Jefus Chrift, and retain a communion fervice, when he does not accept the Scriptures as the dictates of a divine revelation? He nevertheless adds one curious injunction, which, he affures us, is every where frily attended to; and this is- Once in every three months, let fome part of the Alcoran of Mahomet be read, and let the minifter make fuch commentaries thereon as he thinks proper.' This is furely a novelty in church fervice fuggefted by the policy of the Catholic female, who lighted a candle before the image of the devil, on the principle that it was good to have friends everywhere!

As a farther fpecimen of the theological principles inculcated in this performance, we fhall exhibit his new edition of the creed:

I believe in God, the father almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invifible. I believe that his power and wifdom are unbounded; that he is, from all eternity, a fole felf-exiftent God, and that his duration is without end.

I believe that he made man, the most perfect creature upon earth; giving him reafon that he might difcover his own nature, and might ferve his God in righteoufnefs and holiness of life and I believe that God made man a free agent, and left him to the free exerçife of his powers,

* I believe

I believe that the earth is a fmall órb (in comparifon with the reft of creation), revolving round the fun along with other orbs forming one fyftem; and which, although of immenfe extent, occupies but as a point in the incomprehenfibility of space.

I believe that God made the stars, whose distance from us is fo great as to be immeafurable.-And perceiving that on earth he has done nothing in vain, I do not doubt but the stars are fyftems of worlds filled with creatures who partake of the bounty of their God.

I believe that creation was an act of the goodness of God, and therefore that every thing neceffary to the happiness of his creatures was provided for them; and that whatever unhappiness is met with in the world has arifen through the misuse of the bounties of God.

I believe that God had compaffion upon the errors and ignorances of mankind, who, in a courfe of years, had forgotten their Maker and worshipped the works of their own hands. I believe that his holy fpirit permitted Jefus Chrift to have an enlightened idea of his attributes, and that Chrift, contemning the world when put in competition with the honour of the great Creator, fuffered the cruel death of the cross with conftancy, in proof of the truth of his doctrines.

I believe in a future ftate, when the Almighty will be pleafed to make himself known to thofe creatures who have rendered themfelves worthy of that greatest of bleffings; and I firmly believe that the virtuous will be rewarded with everlasting happiness.

If there

N. B. It is to be remarked of every Belief, that, as it is a declaration in the prefence of God, before the congregation, of what a perfon fays he believes, if he either doubts or does not understand any parts of the belief he utters, fo as not to feel a perfect conviction, it is the highest perjury a man can be guilty of. is any thing in the above belief incomprehenfible to any one, let him pass it by, and let no man prefume to declare his belief in what he has doubts of.God requires no fet form of words, the heart alone he judges of, and the fimple and the contrite fpirit will he not defpife.'

İf our Reformer has purged the creed of myfteries that puzzle the learned, he has unneceffarily, as we think, introduced other extrinfic fubjects that will be equally incomprehenfible by the ignorant! For in whatever degree a knowlege of aftronomy may promote piety in cultivated minds, yet the laborious part of mankind, fully occupied in feeking daily bread, cannot extend their researches to the firmament: and, even if the involuntary act of belief, can be conftrued into a duty, it is apprehended, that a man may difcharge his obligations to God and to his neighbour, equally well, whether he troubles his head about the nature of the fun, moon, and stars, or not. The maker of the creed is evidently of the fame opinion; for this profeffion of faith is fo far optional, that a man is allowed to take as much or as little of it as he pleafes. But then what occafion is there for Mm 4 a creed?

a creed? The fole object of a creed is to form a ftandard of religious orthodoxy to diftinguish the fheep from the goats!

The four fermons which he produces, argue away all the foundation of the Chriftian fyftem, not indirectly and by inference, but in the bold fpirit and in the coarfe manner of the once famous Peter Annet, who never confidered any received, doctrines that be difapproved, as entitled to the leaft refpect. The refemblance between these two writers is indeed fo ftrong, that we apprehend we need go no farther than the fecond number of the Free Inquirer *, for the first idea of the island of Veritas.

Peter Annet, Woolflon, and their refpective labours, now reft in peace; and had that peace been allowed them while they were alive, their names and their feeble attempts to disturb the tranquillity of fociety, might have funk the fooner into oblivion. The intelligent part of mankind did not want their affillance, and the unthinking were not made better men by having their moral obligations divefted of their common fanctions †.

The prefent hardy writer, unwilling that his crude notions fhould be configned to that oblivion which fucceffively swallows up his predeceffors in the fame line, earnestly invites controverfy; and would without queftion be highly gratified to find himself of confequence enough to excite it; but mindful only of our duty to the public, we have neither leifure nor inclination to take up his gauntlet.

ART. XV. Sermons, ou different Subjects, left for Publication by John Taylor, LL. D. late Prebendary of Wekminler, Rector of Bofworth, Leicefter fhire, and Minifter of St. Margaret's, Weftminter. Published by the Rev. Samuel Hayes, A. M. Ufher of Westminster School. Svo. 5s. Boards. Cadell. 1788.

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LTHOUGH thefe difcourfes come into the world under a queitionable shape," the general opinion concerning them is, that they are, in reality, the productions of the late Dr. Samuel Johnfon. It is well known that he frequently employed his talents in this way; and the difcourfes in the prefent volume bear the ftrong and characteristic features of his original genius. We may, therefore, with no fmall degree of confidence, point out this volume to the attention of our Readers, as a curious fpecimen of what might have been expected from the author of the Rambler, had that manly fenfe, deep penetration, and ardent love of virtue, which rendered him fo ufeful a public monitor in

*For which Annet was profecuted, imprisoned, and pilloried, in the beginning of the prefent reign.

+ "Non tali auxilio, nec defenforibus iftis,

"Tempus eget.'

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the capacity of an Effayift, been profeffionally employed in the fervice of religion.

Several useful points of morality, and practical religion, are here treated, in a manner, which will reflect no difcredit on the name of JOHNSON. If we defiderate, in thefe difcourfes, that diligent accuracy, and perfect finishing, which render many of his moral and critical Effays fo deferving of admiration, yet we every-where find a judicious felection of pertinent and useful fentiments, expreffed with peculiar ftrength and energy. The Author's knowlege of mankind enabled him to write popular difcourfes on ordinary fubjects without tritenefs; and his steady principle of religion made it easy for him to exhibit moral fentiments with that dignity and authority, which is peculiarly fuitable to the pulpit. To thofe who prefer folid fenfe and nervous language to loofe and flimfy declamation, thefe Sermons will appear to deferve a place among our beft models; and we do not fcruple to recommend them, as fuch, to the attention of the younger clergy.

It would be eafy to felect many paffages from thefe compofitions which would justify the idea we have formed of them; but we must be contented with the following extract from a difcourfe on Romans, xii. 16. in which the Author infifts particularly on the dangers which men of learning incur by being wife in their own conceits.

The bufinefs of the life of a scholar is to accumulate, and to diffuse, knowledge; to learn, in order that he may teach. The firft part of his time is affigned to ftudy, and the acquifition of learning; the latter, to the practice of thofe arts which he has acquired, and to the inflruction of others who have had lefs time, or opportunities, or abilities, for improvement. In the flate, therefore, of a learner, or of a teacher, the man of letters is always to be confidered; and if it fhall appear, that, on whatever part of his task he is employed, a falfe opinion of his own excellence will naturally and certainly defeat his endeavours; it may be hoped, that there will be found fufficient reafon, why no man fhould be wife in his own conceit.

• Since no man can teach what he has never learned, the value and usefulness of the latter part of life muft depend in a great meafure upon the proper application of the earlier years; and he that neglects the improvement of his own mind, will never be enabled to inftruct others. Light muft ftrike on the body, by which light can be reflected. The difpofition, therefore, which beft befits a young man, about to engage in a life of ftudy, is patience in enquiry; eagerness of knowledge; and willingness to be inftructed; a due fubmiffion to greater abilities and longer experience; and a ready obedience to thofe, from whom he is to expect the removal of his ignorance, and the refolution of his doubts.

How unlikely any one, wife in his own conceit, is to excite, or promote in himself, fuch inclinations, may be eafily determined. It is well known that study is not diligently profecuted, but at the ex

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