would defcribe his creed. For when the idolater once abjures his own caft for the Gospel, he confiders the differences of Proteftants (if he ever heard of them), as being very infignificant. Indeed he cannot well understand them. In the great revolution that takes place in his mind (if his converfion be real), he cannot contemplate thefe minute objects." P. 202.

Are then the differences between those who believe that Chrift is "very God of very God," and fuch as contend that he was a mere man, the son of Jofeph as well as Mary; between those who believe that "his foul was made an offering for fin," and fuch as contend that he died only to bear testimony to the truth of his doctrine; between those who believe that he died for the fins of the whole world, and fuch as contend that he died only for a chofen few, are these differences fo very infignificant that a converted Hindoo cannot well understand them? Nay, is it a matter of fo little importance that fuch a convert cannot contemplate it, whether the facraments of Chrift's inftitution, which appear from Holy Scripture to be generally neceffry to falvation, be administered by thofe who derive authority for fuch ad miniftrations from Chrift himfelf, or from a congregation of mere believers? Is it a matter of indifference, whether the glad tidings of the Gofpel be firft carried to heathen nations by those who, on every important article of faith and practice, "all fpeak the fame thing, and having no divifions among themselves, are all perfectly joined together in the fame faith, and in the fame judgment;" or by thofe who, on almost every article of faith, fpeak different things, and reprefent the Gospel as a farrago of contradictions, and there fore unworthy of the acceptation of thofe to whom it is preached.

Our heterogeneous miffionaries may indeed, in India, live together as friends, for fear of the heathen powers by whom they are furrounded, and carefully avoid all difcuffions which might endanger the public peace, and with it their own individual lives; but in that cale they must conceal from the natives every topic about which they differ among themselves; and thus, if they be fincere in their refpective opinions, they must be aware that they are "handling the word of God deceitfully."

We cannot therefore adopt Dr. Buchanan's notions refpecting the mode in which Chriftianity fhould be propagated in the Eaft, or indeed anywhere elfe, He, feems even to think that the nations of Áfia might be converted to the religion of Chrift, merely by tranflating the Bible into their feveral languages, and circulating those translations among

fuch of the natives as can read. That much lefs mifchief would be produced by fuch an attempt at converfion, than by the preaching of miffionaries, who have different views of almoft every doctrine and duty of Chriflianity, we are thoroughly perfuaded; but our bleffed Lord has declared that mankind can be admitted into his kingdom only by baptism; and it is not conceivable how any man can adminifter his baptifm, to whom he has not given authority to do fo. Were indeed the mere studying of the Bible fufficient not only to convert idolatrous nations from their errors, but also to make them" members of Chrift, children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of Heaven;" why were the apoftles commanded to go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature," when they could have written the Gospel in all the languages of the earth, and thus converted the nations by writing, without incurring those dan. gers to which, by their travelling and preaching, they were daily expofed? So little, however, were thefe modes of converfion, by mere books or unauthorized preachers, thought of in the days of infpiration, that St. Paul afked the Romans, "How fhall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? and how thall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be fent ?"

There are fome other things in this difcourfe, of which we cannot approve, particularly a quotation from one of Dr. Paley's fermons, in which, though we are perfuaded that he had no fuch intention, Dr. B. inakes that learned and acute author give countenance to the methodistical doctrine of converfion-the very doctrine which it is the chief object of the fermon to oppofe! Still we confider "the Star in the Eaft" as a valuable and interefting difcourfe; and if it would roufe the Church of England, and the East India Company, to take the work of converting the Hindoos out of the hands of felf-commiffioned apoft!es, by organizing an epifcopal church, or churches, in our Afiatic dominions, in communion not only with the mother-church at home, but alfo with the church of the Syrian Chriftians, it would be productive of greater good, than any other uninfpired fermon that we have ever read. It might, perhaps, be proper, before this fhould be attempted, to fend over fome divine, in whofe knowledge and principles the fulleft confidence could be placed, to vifit the churches of the Syrian Chriftians; for though no man means better than Dr. Buchanan appears to do, he feems to be one of thofe good and amiable men, whole warm imaginations, prefenting every thing, whether good or bad, in the strongest colours, are very apt to mislead their judgment.

ART.

ART. V. Geological Travels. By J. A. De Luc, F.R.S. In three Volumes. Vol. II. and III. Travels in England. Tranflated from the French Manufcript. 8vo. 11. 16s. Rivingtons. 1811.

TO do justice to the venerable author of the volumes before us, as well as to his work, we must refer our readers to many of the former volumes of our Review, but very particularly to vol. xxxv. p. 497, and vol, xxxvii, p. 43. In which places notice is taken, firft of" a Treatife on Geology, “determining fundamental points in that fcience, and containing an examination of fome modern geological fyftems, particularly of the Huttonian Theory of the Earth," and fecondly, of the first volume of the learned author's geological Travels, which are now completed. The researches, difcoveries, and facts communicated to the public in the first volume, related to the phænomena in the north of Europe, the coafts of the Baltic and North Sea; the observations contained in the present books, are confined to our own country, and principally to the counties of Berks, Hants, Wilts, Dorset, Somerfet, Devon, and Cornwall.

The principal object of Mr. De Luc's laborious researches, will be found in our review of his Elementary Treatise, before referred to, vol. xxxv. 497, which treatife ought to be confidered as an indifpenfable accompaniment to his Travels. They fhould all be read together, especially as in the treatise more particularly, further references will be found to the other works of the venerable author, whose fyftem has engaged his attention for so many years. It has indeed employed fo much of his valuable life, that the whole accumulation of facts must be fought for generally in his writings; his latter publications being confined, in a great meafure, rather to the application of thofe facts to particular theories of the earth, more especially the Huttonian. This Mr. De Luc felected, as the theory, of all others, most calculated to bring into notice and obfervation the leading principles, and general phe, nomena of geology. In his own words,

"Since, among the theories which I do not admit, that of Dr. Hutton, defended by Mr. Playfair, has appeared to me the moft methodical, and at the fame time, that which in its expo fition, embraces the greateft number of the true characters of our continents, I have taken it principally as my object in thefe critical difcuffions." Vol. I. p. 2.

Mr. De Lue's leading idea is, that our prefent continents are comparatively of fmall antiquity; a circumftance tend

ing greatly to corroborate the events recorded in Scripture, and in which he has always had the fupport of two of the moft eminent foreign naturalifts, geologifts, and mineralogifts, M. M. de Sauffure and Dolomieu. Dr. Hutton's theory affigns to the prefent globe, and general ftate of the earth, an antiquity quite unfathomable; for he conceives that the principal irregularities are owing to the continued action of exifting caufes; that every thing has been in a state of depredation and degradation for a time beyond calculation; and that as our prefent continents decay and wear down, new ones are forming at the bottom of the fea, to be raised by fome future catastrophe. The catastrophe to which fuch ele vations would be affigned by the Huttonians, namely, the expanfive force of heat and rarified gases, Mr. De Luc has ably shown, both in his Treatife and Travels, to be wholly inadequate to produce fuch effects; and that inftead of such extraordinary elevations, partial fubfidences muft, in the nature of things, have been the principal cause of the prefent confused state of the globe. But in regard more immediately to the ftrange hypothefis of Dr. Hutton, and his commentator Mr. Play fair, that the valleys and excavations of the globe are owing to the action of running waters, and that fuch a deftruction and detritus has been continually going on, the learned traveller adduces facts fo diametri cally oppofed to fuch a fancy, that it feems fcarcely poffible that the theory attacked, can any where maintain its ground, or be supported against fo powerful an oppopent. In either theory, we may conceive the whole to depend on the vifible effects of running waters; for undoubtedly, in the Huttonian fyftem, we must expect to find every where vifible proofs of that grand procefs by which the valleys are fuppofed to be ftill in a flate of gradual excavation and depredation, and their materials carried forward to the bottom of the ocean. But if we only take the pains to follow Mr. De Luc in his curious researches, and display of facts, we must inevitably be brought to the acknowledgment, that fo far from any fuch effects being manifefted by the vifible flate of things, every thing confpires to prove the limited effects of running waters, and that in fact they cannot have been in action beyond a certain number of years. Our own conviction of this import. ant fact is fo ftrong, upon reading the volumes before us, that we cannot hesitate to declare, that however eminent the name of Profeffor Playfair may be on other accounts, as a geologist he appears in a very low rank; his obfer vations tending to thow, that either he never examined the phænomena

phænomena he argues upon, or if he did fee them, that he certainly did not comprehend their nature or hiftory. We would venture also to say, that á careful perufal of the volumes now before us, would make the fame impreffion upon every mind capable of difcriminating, and of fully appreciating the merits and tendency of the evidence adduced. It is extremely gratifying in peruling thefe Travels, to fee in how high eftimation philofophical pursuits are held by the gentry of our native country. It was of importance to Mr. De Luc, not only to afcertain for himself the facts that he wished to establish, but to have the teftimony of other competent eye-witneffes to the truth of the ftateinents he should bring forward; and in this particular his fuccefs feems to have been complete. The name of Mr. De Luc, backed by fuch letters of introduction as few perfons but himself could have procured, appears to have opened to him every door, that fuch a philofopher could with to enter; and to have fecured not only the hofpitable attentions of perfons of the highest refpectability, but the aid of their talents and local knowledge, to determine the precife nature of the phænomena felected for obfervation. We almoft wifh it were confiftent with the nature of our publication, to record at length the names of the very refpectable and eminent perfons who were affiftants to Mr. De Luc in these very curious and interefting researches. One co-operator it is impoffible not to mention, we mean the tranflator of these volumes, Mrs. M. A. Burges, of Afhfield, Devonshire, a lady of no fuperficial endowments, but in all appearance a philofopher of the first rank.

"I did not ftop at Axminster," (fays the learned and vene. rable author, in his third volume,) "but proceeded immediately to Honiton. I had again entered Devonshire by this road, becaufe I was firft going to Ashfield, a houfe on the fouthern flope of the Blackdown Hills, a little more than a mile beyond Homiton, to which I had been invited by Mrs. M. A. Burges, with whom a particular object had brought me into correfpondence, though I was not yet perfonally acquainted with her; and her wish to promote my views, has fince induced her to undertake the Tranflation of my Travels. When I made her this firft vifit, fhe Kad refided twenty years in Devonshire, and was well acquainted with many parts of it, efpecially on the coaft. I found her living in a very pleafant neighbourhood, in which I have fince fpent much time, in a manner no lefs agreeable to me, than conducive to my purpofes. Mrs. Burges, and her very worthy friend, Mrs. A. Elliott, who has long been fettled here, being intimately connected with the family of General .Simcoe, of