condenfation of vapours. The earth, he tells us, is the ch'ef fource of heat in the atmosphere, and distance from the earth is a fource of cold; or, to ufe his own words, the greatest cold muft prevail in the higheft regions of the atmosphere.' He fubjoins, Hence the higheft mountains, even under the equator, are during the whole year covered with fnow. M. Bouguer found the cold of Pinchinca, one of the Cordelieres, immediately under the line, to extend from 7 to 9 degrees under the freezing point, every morning before fun-rife; and hence, at a certain height, which varies almoft in every latitude, it conftantly freezes at night in every feafon, though in the warm climates it thaws to fome degree the next day: this height he calls the lower term of congelation: between the tropics, he places it at the height of 15577 feet.

At ftill greater heights it never freezes, not becaufe the cold decreases, but becaufe vapours do not afcend fo high; this height M. Bouguer calls the upper term of congelation, and under the equator he fixes it at the height of 28,000 feet at moft.'

The juftice we owe to the Public lays us under the neceffity of pointing out a double inadvertency into which Mr. Kirwan, who is generally admired as a great philofopher, seems to have fallen:

He fays, the greatest cold muft prevail in the highest regions of the atmosphere;' and prefently after he adds, at ftill greater heights, it never freezes.'

Again he fays, the condenfation of vapour is a fource of heat and adds, that, at greater heights it never freezes, because vapours do not afcend fo high.'

These feeming contradictions we do not pretend to reconcile; but fhall confine ourselves to the humble office of acquainting our Readers with the contents of Mr. Kirwan's prefent performance.

In the next chapter, our Author treats of a standard situation, with whofe temperature, in every latitude, he compares the temperature of all other fituations in the fame latitude. He takes the ocean for a ftandard fituation, and adds a table of its mean annual temperature in every latitude, and another of the mean monthly temperature in all latitudes between 10° and 80°.

The difference of temperature of air, land, and water, and their capacities of receiving and tranfmitting heat, are next confidered. The circumftances that govern the temperature of land: ift, Elevation. 2d, Vicinity or diftance of large tracts of water, particularly from the ftandard ocean, fince its influence is found to be more extenfive, and fince it is to its temperature that the temperatures of all other countries are to be referred. 3d, The vicinity or distance of other tracts of land, which by their eleva

tion, or the circumftances of their furface, have a temperature peculiar to them, as ftony, fandy, and woody countries. 4th, The bearing of neighbouring feas, mountains, forefts, defarts, &c. 5th, A more or less perfect communication with the ftandard ocean, feas, forefts, &c. Each of thefe are feparately

treated, and with much ingenuity.

Having fixed his theory, Mr. Kirwan proceeds to compare obfervations with it. In this part of the work we find much fatisfaction; in every inftance (and the inftances are numerous) there is a remarkable coincidence between the obfervations and our Author's theory, as will appear from the following examples.

Stockholm is in latitude 59° 20′ N. and long. 18° E. The mean of 20 years obfervation gives its annual temperature 42.39 of Fahrenheit's thermometer. According to the table given in chap. ii. the mean temperature in this latitude is 44.71, which is too much but Stockholm is 432 miles from the Atlantic ocean, and Mr. Kirwan has fhewn that the ftandard temperature must be diminished 1 degree of the thermometer for every 150 miles, whence the diftance 432 muft leffen the ftandard temperature 2.9 degrees, which taken from 44.71 leave 41.8; the difference between the obferved temperature 42.39 and the calcuJated temperature 41.8 is little more than a degree, and may be efteemed as nothing.

Abo, lat. 60° 27' N. long. 22° 18′ E. The refult of 12 years obfervation gives the mean annual temperature 40°. The ftandard heat by the table is 44°; but Abo is 540 miles from the Atlantic; therefore the correction of the ftandard heat is 3.6 degrees; and the mean annual temperature will be 44-3.6= 40.4, only .4 above the obferved temperature. Dunkirk, latitude 51° 02 N. long. 2° 07′ E. The temperature on a mean of 10 years 54°.9. The mean ftandard heat by the table is 52°.4; but the German fea was found to be 2° warmer than the Atlantic, and the British Channel is alfo warmer, therefore the tabular heat being increased by a fraction more than 2° gives the mean heat fraction greater than 54.5 degrees.

The Author concludes his work with general inferences on the whole, and points out fome caufes of unufual cold in Europe. He has treated the fubject in a very different manner from that of former philofophers; and though much remains yet to be done, in order to prognofticate with any certainty the future tate of the temperature in any given place, yet we flatter ourfelves that Mr. Kirwan (who fays, when speaking of wines, that • however uncertain they are in appearance, they are, like all the other phenomena of nature, governed by fixed and determinate laws, and deserve the most serious inveftigation, for which we are at prefent tolerably well prepared') will at fome future period purfue

puríue his enquiries on this important fubject. Could he teach the hufbandman and the failor to prognofticate the weather, with only tolerable certainty for the fpace of three months, or even three weeks, he would doubtless promote the benefit of mankind moft effentially, and be juftly entitled to their utmost

thanks.

ART. XI. Biographia Evangelica: or, an hiftorical Account of the Lives and Deaths of the most eminent and evangelical Authors or Preachers, British and Foreign, in the feveral Denominations of Proteftants, from the Beginning of the Reformation to the prefent Time: illuftrating the Power of Divine Grace in their holy living and dying. By the Rev. Erafmus Middleton, of King's College, Cambridge; Lecturer of St. Bennett's, Grace-church Street, and St. Helen's Bishops-gate Street; and Chaplain to the Countess of Crauford and Lindfay. Vol. iv. 8vo. 7s. 6d. Hogg. 1786.

N the 72d volume of the Review, p. 235. the reader will find an account of the third volume of the above work, with directions where to meet with the articles relative to the two which preceded it. Our compiler, finishes his lift by the prefent publication, which extends to 1785, the year in which Mr. Maddock died, whofe memoirs are the laft in this volume. Among the names here celebrated are the following: Bunyan, Baxter, Flavel, Conant, Philip Henry, Howe, Beveridge, Witfius, Halyburton, Matthew Henry, Shower, Taylor, Mather, Evans, Saurin, Fabricius, Watts, Ebenezer Erskine, Ralph Erkine, Doddridge, Hervey, Guyfe, Pearfall, Whitefield, Gill, Hitchin, Toplady, Conder, &c.

Biography is certainly an agreeable amufement; for no inclination appears more prevalent and powerful among mankind than that of enquiring into the circumftances and conduct of others; the principles may be employed to fome advantage, if by prefenting worthy and eminent characters, others are in any degree excited to an imitation. However, human characters, at the beft, must have their fhades; by an implicit regard to them, perfons may be greatly milled, if not as to their general conduct, yet certainly as to fentiments and opinions. Refpect is due to the wife, the learned, and the good, under all denominations and profeffions, and their judgment merits fome regard; but it is buman ftill, and therefore fallible: it can give them no claim authoritatively to dictate to the reafon and confciences of others. This should be remembered by thofe who read the work now before us.

Truly valuable and ufeful in the general were the perfons whofe lives are here briefly related: and equally fo were many others,

*Price of the fet l. 10s.

their cotemporaries, but who embraced fentiments, as to fome particular and difputable topics, very different from those which the names enrolled in the prefent lift are supposed to have maintained; and yet, it may be faid with truth, they were as really respectable, as firm and established Chriftians as any here mentioned. Surely then our compiler is greatly mistaken, in confining, as he does, the term evangelical to a certain fet, of whom he imagines, that they fupported principles according with his own and with thofe of his particular party. Had he indeed denominated them Calviniftical, it would have had greater propriety, though even then, were it worth while to enter into the enquiry, it might appear questionable, whether all whom he celebrates were thoroughly fo: but evangelical is too generous and extenfive a term to be reftrained in this arbitrary manner, and we are inclined to think, that feveral of the worthy perfons here mentioned, would not have wifhed its being fo limited.

This compilation, however, under fuch allowances as those we have hinted, may no doubt be perused both with entertainment and edification. The warm piety and benevolence, the Catholic and Chriftian fpirit, the induftry and fidelity, the patience and conftancy, which are here in many inftances difcovered, cannot fail of leaving fome ufeful impreffions on the attentive mind.

Thefe lives are taken, either from larger works of the kind abridged, or from funeral fermons. The life of Dr. Watts is chiefly that publifhed by Dr. Johnfon, but fome additions are made; it contains many pertinent and ufeful remarks, at the fame time that there are obfervations to which ftrong objections may be made, and which the writer would find it difficult, if not impoffible to fupport, were he brought to the trial. Indeed a general hypothefis feems to prevail throughout the work, that no others can be evangelical, or it might be faid, really Chriftian authors, or minifters, who do not adhere to certain doctrines of Calvinifin. When he mentions the reformation it is obferved, that, the labours of our reformers to clear away the rubbish of Popish fuperftition, difcovered, and by degrees difplayed the lang concealed foundations of the gofpel:' to this it is added, ⚫ what thefe foundations are, may be feen by our articles and homilies, which, as the most valuable bequeft next to the bible, they fet forth and established for Chriftian concord, in the year 1552. Had Mr. Middleton faid, that here were to be seen the foundations of our established church, it might have paffed without notice; thefe he infifts are Calviniftical, and intimates fome cenfure on the conforming clergy or many of them, on this account on which fubject we will not enquire; but this we must obferve, that the foundations of the gospel, as he expreffes himself, form a fubject very diftinct: differing human explications may

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be given, and. particular churches may advance tehets which they term fundamental, but none of them can claim any real authority; the fcriptures amid all this variety continue the fame, and no perfons, nor any church, have a right to fay that their fenfe and meaning of fome difputable paffages are certainly the truth, and that to which all others ought to agree. How many names might be produced of Chriftian, pious, amiable, and useful characters, in ancient and modern times, who greatly varied from those sentiments which are here confidered as fo effential? Mr. Middleton indeed fays, concerning Calvinistic principles, that they should rather be called evangelic, because they are derived from the gospel itself, and in fact are co-eval with the fyftem of falvation revealed from the beginning of time.' He may and ought to know that firm and faithful believers of Chriftianity have been perfuaded that it taught a very different doctrine. Far be it from us to decide, who or which were in the right. But fuch a reflection proves that moderation and humility become all perfons. Confident as this writer appears, a modeft and diligent enquiry into the meaning of words and phrafes in the fcriptures may perhaps convince him, as it has done many others, that there is fome reason to doubt at leaft, whether the Calviniftic interpretation is always right.

We may just point out a little mistake in this volume, p. 405. where our author afcribes to Dr. Watts part of a hymn which is well known to be the production of Bifhop Kenn.

Some engravings are given with this volume as with the former. Among the heads, is a good likeness of Mr. Whitefield.

ART. XII. Sermons preached before the Honourable Societies of the Inner and Middle Temple. By the late William Stafford Done, D. D. Prebendary of Lincoln, and Archdeacon of Bedford. Published by the Rev. R. Shepherd, B. D. F. R. S. Archdeacon of Bedford. 8vo. 5s. boards. Flexney. 1786.

UBLICATIONS of this kind ftill continue, and rather in

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creafe, notwithstanding the complaint heard long ago that fermons were become too numerous. We are fomewhat inclined to the opinion which Dr. Horne delivered, that under their various and different forms they rather contribute to public and private service; though there are certainly inftances in which it might be more wife and prudent in the authors to withhold them from general inspection; this is not the cafe with the volume before us, at this time: its contents are not adapted to the generality of Chriftian congregations, but were well fuited to the ftate of thofe focieties to whom they are immediately addreffed. The author has wifely difcovered a proper regard to their circumftances, in feveral of the fubjects here confidered. The editor fays, concerning them, The nature of the difREV. July, 1787.

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courses,