50 feet may be taken as the proper length of each knot, which I have here accordingly followed. • Before Mr. Richard Norwood's accurate mensuration, the length of the knots of the log-line was made forty-two feet for a half-minute glass; and, notwithstanding the meafures of the degrees of the earth, as well as daily experience shew it to be too short, yet it is used by many to this day. This divifion of the log-line was founded on a supposition, that a degree of a great circle of the earth confists of 60 miles, each containing 5000 English feet; whence a minute of a great circle, or a geographical mile, should contain 5000 feet; and the 120th part of 5000 feet, or 413, or, in round number, 42 feet, should therefore be the length of each knot. But as a degree of a great circle of the earth is found to contain 691 English miles, the length of the knots of the log-line ought to be increased to 50 or 51 feet. • I shall only add, that though many, through prejudice, still retain the erroneous division of 42 feet, yet I could never hear one tolerable argument brought in defence of it. For my own part, I can affirm, that I found the true division of 50 feet here proposed, to answer very nearly to the observations of the ship's latitude, both in my voyage to St. Helena, and in my voyage on my return, when without the tropics; for within the tropics, and in the course of the trade-winds, there are conftant and confiderable currents, which seem to tend in the same direction with those winds, and most probably derive their origin from them. On the other hand, what journals of ships I have had an opportunity to inspect, which have made long runs to the eastward, and have used too short a division of the log-line, I have found to reckon the longitude 10 or 12 degrees too far to the eastward upon the making of land, as one might naturally expect from the cause of error here pointed out.' B. Obfervations on national Establishments in Religion in general; and of the Establishment of Chriftianity in particular. Together with some occofimal Remarks on the Conduct and Behaviour of the Teachers of it. In a Letter to the Author of an Eljay on Establiments in Religion*. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Bladon. L HE difputes which have, for some time, been carried on, in this country, concerning national establishments of religion, have been managed with such force of argument on both fides, that all impartial enquirers after truth wait with impatience to fee the iffue of this grand debate. Perhaps no controversy that ever happened in the world is of more importance, or may be attended with greater consequences. No wonder See an account of this Effay, Rev. Vol. XXXVII. p. 197. then nance, then that the contending parties exert all their skill to support the oppofite fides of the question. The Author of these observations evidently supposes that the gentleman whom he addresses in his letter, had assistance in his Effay on establishments in religion, from fome great men who do not chuse publicly to appear in the conteft. He begins his letter with this quotation from the EssAY, that " the alliance between government and religion is as old as government itself. At the first appearance of Christianity, this alliance subsisted every where, having defcended, without interruption, from the first ages. Corrupt as religion then was, yet every government in the known world drew fuccours from it, without which they could never have obtained any confiderable degree of greatness or power." Hence some may infer that even this great Author, like the unthinking part of the world, dazzled with the splendour and magnificence of Affyrian, Persian, Grecian, Roman, Turkish and other tyrants, supposes they arrived at all their greatness and power by the influence which their several superstitions had over the minds of the people. But supposing these facts to be true, this is so far from being an argument for civil establishments of religion, that it is the strongest that can be brought against them. Have their conquests and vast extensions of Empire, which are supposed to be made by the means of their superstitions, tended to the happiness of mankind, or even to the happiness of those who made them? Have they not had a direct contrary effect! What millions of human creatures have been thus facrificed to the ambition of those illustrious oppreffors whom the world calls CONQUERORS, all attended by their several priests, to inspire the vulgar with the highest veneration for their facred persons, and to spirit up the multitude to affift them in their dreadful enterprises. Alexander must be the fon of Jupiter, and Cæfar the descendant and favourite of Venus, &c. Priefts and altars must be dedicated to them under these characters; and this is sufficient to sanctify all the murders, devastations and ruin which they brought upon the human race! This alliance, indeed, between government and religion is faid to be as old as government itself. Change but one word in it, and most readers will agree with the author of that sentence. 'The alliance between governors and religion is as old as governors themselves.' But furely just and righteous government is quite of another nature, and requires none of those fuperftitious arts to fupport it, which Demons have suggested, and puny politicians have adopted, not to support government, but to support themselves in the worst abuses of it. Government is truly a divinę ordi 6 nance, designed to be a terror to evil doers, and a praife and defence to them who do well. But as surely as a false religion is mixed with this government, government becomes a terror to the best, and a protection to the worst of men. Here perhaps it will be faid, the cafe must be quite otherwise where Chriftianity, that mild, peaceable, righteous religion is ESTABLISHED as a part of the civil constitution. Happy thought! Let us indulge ourselves in it for a moment. Benevolent Saviour of the world, inspire the profeffors of thy holy religion with the true spirit of it, so that we may all follow thy glorious example, in going about continually doing good!-But can this with, this end, be obtained by any civil establishment of Chriftianity? In order to answer this question, we must confider the meaning of the words Chriftianity, and civil establishment. One would imagine, at first view, that Chriftianity is a very simple term, and easy to be understood; that it cannot fignify any thing but the doctrines and precepts of our divine master, as delivered to the world by himself and by those who were immediately commiffioned and inspired by him; and which are to be feen, by every body, in those divine books that compose the New Testament. But, alas! this is such an idea of Chriftianity as very few people entertain. At Rome, Chriftianity is supposed to be something as oppofite to all this as darkness is to light. In Russia, Germany, Holland, &c. &c. &c. there are such additions to, and alterations made in this divine institution, according to their several ways of improvement upon it, that in some of these places it is almost as difficult to find out true Chriftianity, as at Rome itself. Yet each of these asserts, and that with the highest confidence, that their profeffion is the only true original Chriftianity, and that all the reft are counterfeits. So that when we talk of Chriftianity, we are to confider what country we are in; for the meaning of the word alters greatly with the place. As to civil establishments, these are both Latin words: the former comes evidently from Civis, which fignifies a citizen, or member of a society formed for mutual comfort and defence. Establishment, is the fixing fuch stable and firm laws to be observed by the members of this society, as will most effectually answer these great ends; and the execution of these laws, by the magistrate, is properly called government. The object of government then is the execution of these laws for the comfort and defence of the fociety; and the end of government is the benefit of the people, in fecuring to them their lives, properties, liberties, and rights of every kind. These, say the advocates for religious liberty, are the great, the only, objects of the magistrate's concern: his inquence can extend no farther. If he attempts, as in Tartary, to establish and execute the revelations of the Lama as as part of the laws of the state; in Perfia, thofe of Zoroaster; Let us here confider a little, the nature of establishments of religion by the civil magiftrate - Such an establishment then is, the appointing, by authority of the magistrate, fome certain religion, or particular fect of that religion, to be embraced by the people, as the public national manner of worshipping God; and enacting laws, that the priests, whom the magiftrate approves of, shall be supported by public eftates and public taxes of various kinds, by all the people indifcriminately, whether they may approve of this particular manner of worship established by the magiftrate or not. The penalties inflicted for not conforming to the magiftrate's religion are various in various countries. In fome, fuch nonconformifts are debarred from enjoying certain civil offices; of which those who fubmit to the national establishment are only capable. In other countries, such nonconformists are punished with the loss of their goods and estates, and are banished out of the society as nuisances; and, in many places, are put to the most tormenting deaths. All these and other fevere methods are taken to support the establishments of religion, that is, to support the priests who are appointed to officiate in them. This naturally engages the priests in the interest of the magiftrate who fo powerfully supports them: and thus they do every thing they can to defend one another, the magiftrate to defend the fuperftition of the prieft, and the priest to maintain the tyranny or oppreffion of the magiftrate, and both amuse the people, by crying aloud that their power is from heaven, and that whoever opposes them, opposes God Almighty himself. This is too generally the nature, and these are too often the effects of civil establishments of religión. But the Author of the ESSAY, &c. to whom this letter is addressed, acknowleges, that Whatever right Chriftian legiflators have to establish what religion they chuse for the best, the fame had the Pagan legislators, &c. and fays, we are far from being ashamed of the company of Turks and Heathens in fuch A fuch a cause; nor shall we reject the benefit of an establishment because we enjoy it in common with them.' We heretofore looked upon that assertion of the poet, that priests of all religions are the same, as quite scandalous. But how little did we know of the world! Here is a Christian orthodox divine, crying out aloud, in the most serious and peremptory manner, the very fame thing. Hence will not the profane be apt to say, • That priefts of all religions join hand in hand, and make a common cause of it, to defend the only thing that excites their zeal, their emoluments and establishments. Take these away, and they will grow as indifferent about what is faid or done within the church, as they are about the direction of the weather-cock at the top of it.' 66 The Author of this letter goes on to represent the direful effects of Heathen and Mohammedan establishments of religion; and then gives us a large quotation from Dr. Rotheram on faith, to shew the happy-effects of true Christianity on mankind; upon which he thus addresses himself to the Author of the Eflay. You, Sir, seem to agree with this Writer, when you fay, As fingle and individual Christians, they may enjoy the right of private judgment in its full extent, and each may pursue his own opinions without, whilst each with, a bible in his hand (if he pleases to take it in his hand) is a church to himself." 'But you add, "Good God! what chance is there that the knowledge of religion should long survive on this footing, where no provifion is made for instructing the people in their faith or their duty, and where every one is left to pursue, at his will, the cares or the pleasures of this life, without any stated call to think of religion?-Either then all the advantages of public and social religion must be loft, or it must be mens duty to join in society, for the obtaining of those advantages. This necessarily leads to the appointment of a power to provide for the wants of that fociety, one of the chief of which is the means of public instruction in the truths of religion. Fit persons must be appointed to convey these instructions; and if fit perfons, then there must be some to judge of that fitness." • But who, Sir, says our obfervator, is to judge of the fitness of the perfons for inftructing the people in the truths of religion? The magistrate? Alas! the magistrate knows as little of the matter, in many places, as the most ignorant of his subjects. Is it the chief priests constituted by him for that purpofe? These, every one knows, in most countries, have preferred rites and ceremonies to moral virtue, have fought gain more than godliness, and the establishment of their own wealth, power and pre-eminence, rather than the happiness of the community they have taken on them to instruct. Ill judges, then, are |