ART. XIII. Divine Worship founded in Nature, and supported by Scripture Authority. An Effay. With Remarks on Mr. Wakefield's Arguments against Public Worship, and Strictures on some Parts of his Silva Critica, and English Version of the New Teftament. By John Pope, Tutor in the Belles Lettres and Claffical Literature, in the New College, Hackney. 8vo. pp. 199. 3s. 6d. fewed. White and Son. 1792.

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'HE obligation of divine worship has been fo fully established, both on the ground of authority and expediency, in the anfwers which have already appeared to Mr. Wakefield's Remarks, &c. that Mr. Pope's differtation on the fubject appears under some disadvantages. He expatiates, it is true, more diffufely than his predeceffors in this controverfy have done, on the arguments from reafon; and he has taken great pains to collect and comment on all the texts of fcripture, which can be adduced with any effect in fupport of this practice: but we find little which we judge fufficiently new and important to lay before our readers. The following paffage, in which he combats Mr. Wakefield's idea that in the revelation, both of Mofes and Chrift, there have been an infancy, a youth, and a manhood, deferve attention:

If revelation be regarded as a fyftem, confifting of doctrines, precepts, and obfervances, the affertion that it admits of a progreffive ftate of improvement, is fo far from being true, that, in reality, it is capable of no gradation at all. The revelation grant. ed to Adam, for inftance, if there was any, is now the fame as when it was at first given; and the fame may be faid as to the revelation communicated to Noah, to Abraham, and to Jacob. The principles which each of thefe revelations contained, were always the fame, and the obligation of thefe principles, unvaried, till the moment of their being fuperfeded by fucceeding ones. In the fame manner, the revelation by Mofes was the fame till the period when Chrift came into the world, as when the law was delivered on Mount Sinai. This is manifeft both from the paffages which have been already cited, and indeed, from the tenor of the whole Old Testament, in which the Ifraelites are repeatedly condemned for their neglect of the ftatutes and judgements which Mofes had appointed them. Ezekiel accordingly (xviii. 5. 22.) exprefsly reckons among the qualities neceffary to entitle a man to the divine acceptance, the obfervance of the ftatutes and judgments of God; that by these are meant the inftitutions of Mofes, is manifeft from numerous other paffages. And Malachi, the laft of the prophets under the Mofaic difpenfation, gives the Jews this injunction, Remember ye the law of Mofes my fervant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb, for all Ifrael, with the ftatutes and judgments.

This, however, has been fo fully treated of, that there can be no neceflity for farther enlargement. From what, therefore, has been already faid, compared with the preceding obfervations, it cannot but be clearly manifeft, that it was not the defign of God

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to abrogate, in general, the Mofaic inftitution, before its defigns were fully accomplished.

Indeed, it is an idea, which, I believe, was never before started, that any law whatfover is capable of undergoing a gradual abrogation, when there is nothing contained in it, which declares or even intimates fuch an abrogation. Would any law, for instance, contained in the English ftatute-book, be regarded as having no efficacy, because merely it had been neglected? Is not the complaint, which is daily made of oppreffive, though obfolete ftatutes, derived from the very circumftance, that, though obfolete, they are not, on that account, of lefs force than thofe which are continually put in execution? Would not their gradual tendency to-abrogation, render all fuch complaints unneceffary? And can we fuppofe the laws of revelation to be of fuch a fort, as that a courfe of years or ages fhould deftroy their efficacy?

But allowing, for a moment, that after a certain number of ages they were intended to be paffed over in filence; is it not ftrange, that the being who enacted them should not only leave no clear intimations of fuch defign, but should exprefs thofe laws in fuch a manner, as to convey the diametrically contrary idea?

Again, on the fuppofition of fuch gradual abrogation, how fhall it be known, at what time the complete abrogation must take place? At what period fhould ceremonies of one kind be abolished, and at what, those of another kind, till the whole is brought to abolition? Thefe are questions, which he who talks of fuch abolitions, ought to be prepared clearly to answer. Indeed they are fuch as no one can anfwer; fince they proceed on the fuppofition, that, in the revelation itself, thefe periods are fo diftinctly marked out, as to leave no doubt concerning them. And whether this be the cafe in any revelations with which we are acquainted, may be left to Mr. Wakefield himself to determine.'

In reality, Mr. Wakefield confounds together two ideas effentially different, that of the perfons, amongst whom a particular difpenfation is admitted, and the difpenfation itself. The former are truly capable, and actually admit of fuch degrees of improvement, as may properly give occafion to diftinguish different generations by the appellations of infancy, youth, and manhood. But the difpenfation itself ftill remains the fame. The only alteration which takes place, is in them; amongst whom light and knowledge may gradually fpring up, fo as to caft a luftre, if I may fo express mylelf, on the difpenfation itself; that is, enable later ages to understand it more clearly, and fulfil its intentions more completely, than any preceding ones. But this is very different from altering the difpenfation; which fill continues, unvaried; and it is on this, not on the perfons who admit it, that the controversy turns. If the difpenfation be of fuch a kind, as is intended to introduce one more perfect, when the circumstances of the world are fitted for it, we may reasonably prefume, that the former will give way, and the more perfect one take place. This was the cafe, with respect to the Mofaic inftitution, compared with that of the gospel. But who ever thought, that any part of the former was to be difregarded, before

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the latter made its appearance? Indeed, as it was intended to in troduce the latter (the law being, as the apostle fays in Gal. iii. 24.. our Schoolmaster, or rather, conducting fervant to bring us unto Chrift), would it not be with the utmoft impropriety, that any obfervance of the law fhould be abrogated, before the end which it was intended to answer was completed '

The frictures on Mr. Wakefield, at the clofe of the pamphlet, difplay confiderable learning and acuteness: but, as all controverfy between thefe gentlemen feems too much under the influence of perfonal motives, we muft decline entering on that particular examination of these criticisms and remarks, to which they might otherwise have been entitled.

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ART. XIV. Travels into Norway, Denmark, and Ruffia, in the Years 1789, 1789, 1790, and 1791. By A. Swinton, Efq. 8vo. pp. 506. 75. 6d. Boards. Robinfons. 1792..

'HE author of these travels notices his two recent predeceffors in this northern tour, Mefirs. Wraxall and Coxe. He admires the celerity of Mr. Wraxall's movements, who effected a journey of 2000 miles round the Baltic fea, in the courfe of five months! a pace too rapid to fuppofe that he had it in his power to draw many of his reflections from actual obfervation: the prefent writer accordingly corrects occafionally the wrong information which Mr. W. received, and the premature opinions that he formed. Mr. Coxe, he obferves, travelled at a rate fomewhat flower, and much more folemn; and he acknowleges the importance of his objects of attention: but another traveller was yet wanted, for he adds,

It is not, however, long details, biographical, historical, or philofophical, that are expected by every reader to form the principal parts of books of travels. What the traveller himself obferved, inferred, fuffered, or enjoyed-but above all, manners, cuftoms, drefs, modes of life, domeftic economy, amufements, arts, whether liberal or mechanical, and, in a word, whatever tends to il Iuftrate the actual state of fociety, and that not only among the great, but the body, and even the very loweft of the people: all this, in the opinion of thofe who read rather for amufement, than the study of either politics or natural philofophy, fhould enter into thofe narratives which are fuppofed to hold a kind of middle rank between the folidity of Audied difcourfe and the freedom of colloquial converfation.

It is on this humble ground that the author of this volume, notwithstanding what has been published by the refpectable gentlemen abovementioned, is induced to offer to the public a variety of obfervations which he has been enabled to make, by frequent voyages o Denmark, and a refidence of feveral years in Ruflia.'

Beyond

Beyond all this, the author, in treating of the commerce and agriculture of Ruffia, will have it particularly in view, to fhew how nearly the interefts of Great Britain and Ruffia are connected, and how falfe that fyftem of policy in either couptry, that would permit even a coolness to fubfift between

them.'

As a fpecimen of thefe travels, we exhibit Mr. S.'s journey from Revel to Petersburg, in November:

'I left Revel Thursday morning, and, for the first time, seated myself in a fledge. I could not brook the idea of being dragged upon a hurdle to the Ruffian capital. A few miles travelling, however, foon reconciled me, and I found it very agreeable. A fledge is a large oblong basket, partly covered at top, in the fashion of an half chaife; this is put upon a frame, turning up in the front, like the bow of a fhip. In this latitude one cannot ufe a chaife with any comfort; befides, it is very heavy with wheels, and requires double the number of horfes. It is wonderful with what expedition the bulkieft fledge is drawn along the furface of the fnow.

Before travellers fet out, they convey their baggage into the bottom of the fledge, if they journey with one only; above this large feather-beds are laid, ferving both to warm and to defend the traveller against the fudden jolting of the vehicle. Here he lies, covering himself with blankets and furs. He is, befides, dressed in furs; a fur coat or pellice, boots lined with fur, and a cap refembling a muff; nor is this wanting: his hands cloathed with furred gloves, are likewife thrust into a muff almost as large as a French jack-boot. With this, too, he defends his face against the cold, which, in driving quickly, is felt to penetrate even this load of fkins, if the wind be oppofite. Now, if all this warehouse of garments be required, conceive the condition of an Englishman, in his poft-chaife and thin furtout, traverfing Rufsland! He would not resemble, but actually be a frozen mummy; and the froft would preferve the carcafe as well as the richest balms of Egypt.

'We now fee nothing but villages, half buried in fnow. The roads are only diftinguishable by the tracks of fledges, and red painted verft pofts. It is about three hundred verfts, or two hundred miles from Revel to the capital. The road leads through the provinces of Ethonia and Ingria, bordering upon the Finland Gulph.

At the approach of winter there are no ftorms; the breeze is gentle as zephyr. The clouds almoft brush the tops of the forefts, feeming to reft their loads upon the branches. The Ruffian driver has found a method to disturb the filence of the midnight hour, by hanging a bell among the harnefs: he accompanies this inftrument with his voice. There is no difference in drefs between the Fins and Ruffians. I have found out which is which, by their manner of faluting. The Ruffian driver, when I give him a little drink-money, either bows, or gets down upon his knees, and touches my fhoe or the earth with his head. He has a quicker eye in his head than the Fin. The Finlander embraces my knees, and kiffes

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kiffes my cloaths, or, if you please, the hem of my garment. The Fin has a fimple look.

It is

We arrive at different pofts, change horfes, and away, like lightning. In the morning we entered a poft-houfe, and had fome coffee, while our bed of furs was adjusted in the fledge. made, as any other bed after a night's work. A Ruffian gentleman is here fmoaking his pipe; his fervant is employed in putting his bed in order. His fledge is far preferable to ours, being neatly built and painted, with windows at the fide, and curtains in the front; he has feveral feather-beds under him, bolfters and pillows without number. This is very unlike the hardy Scythians we have heard of-but fo things are; and the boor is as warmly cloathed as his betters; he rolls himself in a fheep's fkin, with the wool inwards were it outwards, he would look like a fheep upon its hinder legs: but the fharpness of a Ruffian eye is not favourable to that difguife. The accommodation is tolerably good from Revel to Narva. However, according to cuftom, we take our provifions along with us, ready drefied; a loaf, a cold tongue, and a bottle of brandy, are the contents of my wallet. It does not appear that the poftmafters are under any obligations to keep provifions for travellers, for reafons formerly noticed. At one of the posts, we could not even procure a bit of bread; at the next ftage we had an excellent dinner, and a glafs of equally excellent wine. There are accommodations of another kind to be had in thofe latitudes, at the lower order of taverns, called Cabacks, or Brandy-fhops. I could not help taking notice of a fign-poft, hung at the corner of a hut, within thirty verfts of Revel, upon the Riga road. The painter had done his beft to infpire other paffions, befides that for brandy, in the wayfaring Chriftians. The defign was above criticism-the execution beneath it. I expected to fee fome living figures to correfpond with the ticket. I faw a nymph, aged fifty, bringing water from the well. Had it been another Sarah, I might, perhaps, have refted my camels.

Thefe provinces are chiefly inhabited by Fins; a people as ftopid in their vifage as the Ruffians are lively. They are now fhut up in their cottages: very few are without doors. A dreary fcene is every where prefented to view, with fcarcely the appearance of life.

We arrived at Narva at fix o'clock, in the dark. A centinel demanded our paffports as we entered the gates, in the name of fome great man, or Prince, or Sovereign; and in his own name he craved ten copics. You cannot be fo unreafonable as to expect an account of Narva, feen only at four, or five, or fix o'clock of a winter's evening. I fee a jumble of houfes, and if the light, or rather the dark, does not deceive me, I fee vacancies where houses might be built.

We pafs under a kind of triumphal arch upon the other fide of the town. I cannot imagine that this was erected in honour of Charles XII. The mafter of the poft-house in the fuburbs advised us to stay all night, as the river Yamburgh was not fufficintly frozen to bear carriages with fafety. We had to cross this river in our first flage

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