art LUKEWARM, and neither cold nor hot, I am going to SPUE thee out of my mouth." And what philofophical Chriftian what rational and enlightened friend to true devotion, can read, without fhuddering, the last of these more than " fingular" these nefarious -"doctrines ?".

66 EVERY

Newtonian ASTRONOMY - that fober, handmaid of RELIGION.

To complete his masterly detail of the fteps by which Newton's hypothesis of the law of gravity was converted into theory, I cannot forbear noticing the ftupendous ealculation, by which Clairaut-the Coryphæus of the Newtonian Syftem of the World-afcertained the effects of the perturbing forces of Jupiter and Saturn, on the famous Comet of 1759, for two entire revolutions back, or 150 years; and predicted its return to the Perihelion, "about the middle of April 1759,” after a retardation of 618 days more than the preceding period; " ftipulating however for the variation of a month from the computation, on account of the quantities unavoidably neglected by the methods of approximation"-as may be seen in his annunciation, Journal des Sçavans, Jan. 1759. And accordingly, the Comet actually returned to the Perihelion, on the 13th March 1759, just a month, or 32 days, fooner than the computation!!! We may justly indeed obferve of this famous

Comet

"EVERY action of life is an act of DEVOTION."-Such doctrine-founded on the latitudinarian pofition," that a limited quantity of evil (both natural and moral) was necessary to the production of the greatest quantity of good"-comprehending and embracing all the elegant rites of Paganism -or of Heathen abomina

Comet-which the fagacious Halley, by one of the happiest guefes that ever was realized, concluded would return, from its Perihelion, Sept. 4, 1682, after a longer period of 76 years or more, about the end of 1758 or beginning of 1759: more fortunate than Newton and Euler, who conjectured that it would return about August 1757:

"Cette COMETE je ne pas crains le dire, eft venue affurer la triomphe d'ASTRONOMIE, et la gloire de l'ESPRIT HUMAIN."

Differtat. LA LANDE. Mem. Acad. 1759. See HALES's Differtatio de Motibus Planetarum in Orbibus excentricis, 1782, for a fuller account.

N. B. Does not this infallible calculation of Clairaut clash with the affumptions of M. Bofut and De La Place, "that the mutual action of the feveral parts of the fyftem can produce no acceleration in their mean motion ?"

M. REVIEW of Vince's Aftronomy, p. 130.

tions, portrayed in fuch licentious colours by a Reynal or a Gibbon, is rather befitting a prieft of Moloch, a difciple of Bacchus, or a votary of the Paphian Venus-than of any fect or denomination of Theifts or of Chriftians.

And now, after this fummary (and I truft not unfair nor intemperate) infpection of only two leading articles in Mr. Belfham's letters-fent forth,like Pandora's box, for a new year's gift to an unfufpecting public-let the whole assembled corps of Monthly Reviewers revife, with what complacency they may-fitting in their "armed chairs -(formerly armor elbow-chairs)-their general commendation of this publication :

"Taken altogether, Mr. Belham's letters are not only extremely candid, but they evince a critical knowledge of the Scriptures, and a profundity of thought and reflexion; and those who have read the “Practical View" (of Mr. Wilberforce) ought, in juftice to themfelves, to peruse this fpirited examination of it; which is written

H

written without any fear of man's judgment, but (in an entire confidence in the truth of the Chriftian religion!!!) challenges the fullest enquiry."

66

66

Mr. Belfham (who, we are informed, is a ftrenuous Unitarian,") ftrongly resents Mr. W.'s fevere reflection on Unitarianifm-as a fort of half-way house between orthodoxy and infidelity"—an expreffion which the REVIEWERS alfo reprehend as "beneath Mr. W."- What will both fay to the INSPECTOR? Who reprehends it alfo-as not half strong enough.--Mr. W. might fafely have gone the whole way, without mincing matters. -In thefe "dangerous days," and in the urgency of this preffing hour, when not the outworks but the citadel of Chriftian faith is affailed, by all the combined and formidable powers of genius and learning, wit, ridicule, methodifm, ribaldry, calumny and blafphemy-we may well exclaim, like the intrepid Elliot during the last unrivalled defence of Gibraltar-waving a falute while the enemy's balls

9

were

whistling

whistling around:-" Mind your business, GENTLEMEN, there is no ceremony on a battery."

And what is UNITARIANISM?—After the most diligent infpection, for some years past, I can compare it to nothing but the heterogeneous Monster, or Mermaid-defcribed by Horace, with a fair face and fifh's tail:

" ut turpiter atrum

Definat in pifcem, mulier formofa fuperne."

Whence Milton appears to have borrowed his famous description of Sin.

If you afk PRICE-It admits the preexistence and dignity of JESUS CHRIST, in the fullest degree; and yet, rather inconfiftently, denies him religious worship at prefent, as being only "a deified man !!!" Sermons, p. 48, 69 and 143.

If you afk WAKEFIELD-It admits the miraculous conception of JESUS CHRIST, and also his worship; but it peremptorily denies his pre-existence-afferting, with a temerity the most shocking,