probation, to concur with the reformers at that time-to those bishops who bave since seen reason to concur with them in some competent degree-the important trust probably would be committed by the state, to propose such alterations in the liturgy; and such a mode, not of altering the 39 articles of religion, but the subscription to them, as in an easy and inoffensive manner would remove the objections of many excellent Christians, satisfy the scruples of many worthy ministers, and still effectually prevent the intrusion of improper persons into the official stations of our church. Doubtless, this would be ably and wisely done, if such persons, un❤ der due authority, should undertake the task to prepare the neces sary correction of our public forms of religion. And where would be the possible danger to the church, if in this regular and legal way, improprieties were removed, which our first reformers saw, but were unable to remove; improprieties, some of which are contradictory to charity, as well as common sense; some are the errors, or countenance the errors of popery; and some afford, by their obscure but incautious expression,a sanction to those gloomy doctrines which too often lead their wretched votaries to the extremity of fanaticism, with all its concomitant miseries and absurdities.

Guided by such men, acting with moderation and wisdom on these principles, it is highly probable, that the legislature would establish improvements in our liturgy, &c. which would be truly beneficial; and which could disgust no reasonable churchman. Our national religion would then be free from blemishes of less importance, indeed, than those which were removed by Cranmer and Ridley; but which are become more visible in this enlightened age: and possibly not less offensive to many excellent Christians than transubstantiation, and the worship of the Virgin Mary were to them. Many difficulties would then be removed, which at present bar the approach to the church, disgust free inquirers, and prevent that re-union with us, which is the earnest wish of the more rational dissenters. They who still adhere to the infallibility of Rome, who still retain the contradictions of transubstantiation, as not more incredible, not less warranted by the just construction of scripture, than those contradictions in the creed of Athanasius, which we retain, would be more apt to be converted to our purer faith, as we deem it, when it was freed from this obvious inconsistence, and brought nearer to the plain and simple religion of the Gospel. It was the wish of the wise and generous Tillotson, "that we were well rid of that creed ;" and every churchman has reason to join him. With respect to the various denominations of protestants, who differ little from our church on any of the more momentous articles of religion, if they were no longer insulted by our penal laws, no longer disgusted by the obstinate retention of the faults and imperfections of our religious forms, our protestant brethren would more readily wave their minor objections to bishops and to a preconceived form of prayer.'

The reform, which Mr. Wyvill would recommend, instead of endangering, would secure the permanence of the esta

blishment. It would cause no confusion, but it would dissipate the jealousy and put an end to the strife of sects. It would substitute charity for intolerance, and powerfully encourage christians of all denominations to worship God in the same sanctuary, in the spirit of amity and peace.

Dr. Paley has afforded a very cogent and satisfactory refutation of most of the popular and common place objections which are urged against the policy and the usefulness of any alteration in the liturgy and the articles of the establishment, in his tract entitled, A Defence of the Considerations on the Propriety of requiring a Subscription to Articles of Faith, &c. This work of Dr. Paley was written when his intellect was in the maturity of its strength, and before any untoward circumstances had occurred to give a bias to his opinions. It may perhaps be worth while before we close this article to produce a few of his observations, which may perhaps conciliate the regard of certain persons who would treat our opinions, as well as those of Mr. Wyvill, with neglect and scorn. There are many who have not strength of mind to judge for themselves, or to draw a legitimate conclusion from the most apparent premises, who are ready to bend with obsequious servility to the real or the fancied authority of a fashionable name.

It has been a common objection that, if subscription to articles of faith were removed,confusion would ensue; that the people would be disturbed with conflicting opinions, and that the pulpits instead of enlightening the congregation would be clouded with the fume of polemical hostility.

Now,' says Dr. Paley, that distressing many of the clergy, and corrupting others; that keeping out of churches good christians and faithful citizens; that making parties in the state, by giving occasion to sects and separation in religion; that these are inconveniences no man in his senses will deny. The question, therefore, is, what advantage do you find in the opposite scale to balance these - inconveniences? The simple advantage pretended is, that you hereby prevent wrangling and contention in the pulpit. Now, in the first place, I observe that allowing this evil to be as grievous and as certain as you please, the most that can be necessary for the prevention of it is, to enjoin your preachers as to such points, silence and neutrality. In the next place, I am convinced that the danger is greatly magnified. We hear little of these points at present in our churches and public teaching, and it is not probable that leaving them at large'would elevate them into more importance, or make it more worth men's while to quarrel about them. They would sleep in the same grave with many other questions of equal importance with themselves, or sink back into their proper place, into topics of speculation, or matters of debate from the press. None but men of some reflection would be forward to engage in

such subjects, and the least refiction would teach a man that preaching is not the proper vehicle of controversy. Even at present," says our author, we speak and write what we please with impunity." And where is the mischief? or what worse could ensue if subscription were removed? Nor can I discover any thing in the disposition of the petitioning clergy that need alarm our appre hensions. If they are impatient under the yoke, it is not from a desire to hold forth their opinions to their congregations, but that they may be at liberty to entertain them themselves without offence to their consciences, or ruin to their fortunes.'

Some will object that great occasion of scandal would be given by separating the national worship from those tenets," which however mysterious or absurd, have acquired sanctity from long usage and gratify the prejudices of the people. Dr. Paley well remarks that there was much greater reason for this belief at the time of the reformation,

as the Popish ritual, which was then fallen away, had a fascination. and antiquity which ours cannot pretend to. Many were probably scandalized at parting with their beads and their mass-books, that lived afterwards to thank those that taught them better things. Reflection, we hope, in some, and time we are sure, in all, will reconcile men to alterations established in reason.'

Dr. Paley ridicules the affected apprehension of the sticklers for the old mumpsimus of the established doctrines, that any alteration would occasion turbulence or commotions in the state. Is not the whole danger,' says the Doctor, like the lion of the slothful, the creature of our fears and the excuse of our indolence? Was it proposed to make articles instead of removing them there would be room for the objection. But it is obvious that subscription to the thirty-nine articles might be altered or withdrawn upon general principles of justice and expediency, without reviving one religious controversy, or calling into dispute a single proposition they contained. Who should excite disturbances? Those, who are relieved, will not; and unless subscription were like a tax, which being taken from one, must be laid with additional weight upon another, is it probable that any will complain that they are oppressed because their brethren were relieved ??

'Let the church pare down her excrescences;-let her discharge from her liturgy controversies unconnected with devotion; let her try what may be done for all sides by worshipping God, in that generainty of expression in which he himself has left some points; let her dismiss many of her articles; and convert those which she reBains into terms of peace: let her recal the terrors she has suspended over freedom of inquiry; let the toleration she allows to dissenCRIT. REV. Vol. 16. March, 1809. X

ters be made absolute; let her invite men to search the scriptures, let her governors encourage the studious and learned of all persua sions;-Let her do this,-and she will be secure of the thanks of her own clergy, and what is more of their sincerity. A greater con sent may grow out of inquiry than many at present are aware of; and the few, who after all, shall think it necessary to recede from our communion, will acknowledge the necessity to be inevitable; will respect the equity and moderation of the established church, and live in peace with all its members.'

ART. X-Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society for the Year 1808.-Part II. (continued from p. 123.)

XVIII. Description of an Apparatus for the Analysis of the compound inflammable Gases by slow Combustion; with Experiments on the Gas from Coal, explaining its Application. By William Henry, M.D. Vice Pres. of the Lit. and Phil. Society, and Physician to the Infirmary at Manchester. Communicated by H. Davy, Esq. Sec. R. S.-Dr, Henry modestly prefaces his paper by observing that the object of his experiments is more to remove some of the obstacles which have impeded a just analysis of the aëriform compounds of hydrogen and carbon, than to acquire such facts, as may enable the chemical philosopher to decide the controverted question respecting their composition.

Vegetable compounds submitted to distillation at a temperature not below that of ignition, yield a variety of products, but.principally carbureted hydrogen gas, or super carbureted hydrogen, more commonly called olefiant gas. The uniform fluids thus generated, are found to possess almost every degree of specific gravity, and to yield, by combustion, extremely different results according to the temperature at which they have been formed, the stage of the process at which they have been separated, and other modifying cir

cumstances.

The analysis of these gases has hitherto been attempted by simple inflammation, performed by the electric spark with a known portion of oxygen. The first diminution is from the condensation of the hydrogen; another is made by absorbing the carbonic acid by potash; the quantity of oxygen unconsumed may be determined by eudiometrical tests. Such are the elements from which the calculation is formed. But Dr. Henry observes that in this estimate it is assumed that all the carbon is completely acidified; and moreover, that no part of it existed previously in the state of carbonic oxide; neither of which may be true. He further

observes, that he has found that the products of the combustion of the same gas varied considerably in different experiments, and that the carbon was not fully oxygenized, in consequence of the precipitation of charcoal in the act of detonation. The quantities also, which can be submitted in this way to experiment, are very minute; and there is considerable danger of bursting the glass tubes from the violence of the inflammation. To remedy these defects Dr. Heury has invented the very ingenious apparatus described in this paper. The principle of it is very simple; but a complete idea of all its parts can only be acquired by aid of the plate, which accompanies, the Doctor's description.

The gas to be examined is contained in a cylindrical vessel open at bottom, and furnished at the top with a bent tube. The vessel is placed in another which has some water at its bottom, and by a stream of water being let into the second vessel, the gas is forced, pretty uniformly upwards, through the bent tube. This conveys it into another cy linder, containing oxygen gas placed in the water of a pneumatic cistern. The top of the bent tube is furnished with a metallic burner, and a wire of communication connects it to the earth. A metallic rod furnished with a copper bell passes through the vessel of oxygen gas, is contiguous at one extremity to the metallic burner, and at the other communicates with the prime conductor of an electrical machine. When the sparks are passing briskly, the stream" gas to be burnt is let in, and the process continued as long as is thought right: and afterwards the products are examined by the usual means adapted to this purpose.

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One defect in this process Dr. H. acknowledges to be that part of the gas escapes inflammation. If this cannot be wholly avoided, its quantity at least may be diminished by admitting the stream of gas very slowly at first; and by stopping the process when the carbonic acid accumulates so much as to diminish sensibly the inflaming power of the oxygen. A second imperfection is, that the water absorbs some carbonic acid. But Dr. H. thinks that the quantity is so small, that it may be disregarded,

Dr. Henry relates the actual results of the inflammation of hydrogen gas, and olefiant gas; and having satisfied himself of the accuracy of the results obtained by this apparatus, be proceeded to the combustion of the gases from a variety of vegetable substances, and especially from those which it seemed probable might become economical sources. of light. Of these he has observed,

The inflammability of the compound gases, and their fitness