toned, and he will fee how the apostles treated fuch erroneous teachers, and directed them to be treated. Whether fhall we think the Apoftie Paul, who was for ftopping the mouths of unruly and vain talkers, teaching things which they ought not, and for rebuking them tharply that they may be found in the faith, or they who were for indulging them in fuch a courfe under the fpecious pretence of peace and moderation, had really the trueft and most Chriftian charity for them? See Prov. xii. 24. But is all our charity to be confined to them? Is there no care of others incumbent upon church-rulers? no concern for the prefervation of that religion the maintenance of which is intrusted with them, and undertaken by them? Is truth to be facrificed to peace? The apostle has forewarned us, that they who caufe divifions and offences contrary to the doc trine of the gofpel will, by good words and fair fpeeches, deceive the hearts of the fimple and therefore I hope all wil not fo far be impofed upon by plaufible pretences, but that, if our religion is to be overturned, at leaft it fhall not be without a ftruggle. There is one thing alledged by S. D. which it may be proper to take fome notice of before I conclude, viz. that "the Formula has not yet obtained the fanation of the church of Scotland;" by which, I fuppofe, he means, that the act 1711 was not tranfmitted to the feveral prefbyteries, according to the regulation of the barrier-acts. To which I have thefe two things to reply. 1. That the barrier-acts regard only novations, as it is expreffed in the acts themselves; and do not extend to the renewing, inforcing, or farther fecuring what is already establifhed. This appears, not only from the words in which the acts are expreiled, but from this very inftance of the conduct of thofe who made them: for we fee, that in a very few years after this regulation was eftablifhed, while they who were the enactors of it were yet living, and in the management of affairs, neither did they think a tranfmiffion of the act 1711 neceflary, nor did the omiflion hinder its taking place over the whole church at that time. The fame objection is frequently made to the aft 14. 1736; but with the ftrangeft inadvertency. For the flightest inspection of that act will thow, that it is by no means any novation. On the contrary, the very defign of it is, to how, that what is therein inforced ha always been the principle of this church; and it confifts in a recapitulation of former acts in different periods; which it would have been ablurd to tranfmit, unlefs a repeal of them had been propofed. But, 2. if the confent of prefbyteries were neceffary for the prefervation of that for the fecurity of which the Formu. la was contrived, has it not actually obtained this fanction in the most authentic manner by the universal practice of the church for above fifty years? He fays, he bears there are different Formulas ufed in Scotland. What freedom fome prefbyteries may have taken of late, fince Dr Taylor came to have fo much authority amongst us, I fhall not fay: but this he will not, furely, refuse, that no commiffion to the general affembly from any prefbytery in Scotland is received, unless it exprefly bear, that all the minifters have figned the Formula injoinad by the 10th act of the affembly 1711. [xxix. 12.] What is above obferved of the act 14, 1736, furnishes a fufficient anfwer to the laft paragraph of S. D's letter. If he could diflinguish between the laws and conftitutions of a church, (which is what we call establi!bed regulations), and the decifion of particular causes in a judicative capacity, the egregious mistake he here falls into had been prevented; and he could not have had the leaft fhadow of ground for alledging, that the folemn farce of ordaining a minister to bare walls or merely to a ftipend, is an established res gulation of this church. PHILALETHES. A letter of her Imperial Majesty of all the Ruffias, to Count Wolodimer Orloff, director of the academy of Sciences at Peterfburg. Monf. Count Orloff, Aving been informed, that in the fummer of the year 1769 the planet Venus will pafs over the Sun, I write you this letter, that you may acquaint the academy of fciences on my part, 1. That it is my pleafure, that the academy fhould procure the obfervations to be made with the utmost care; and, 2. that I defire, in confequence, to know, which are the most advantageously situated places of the empire that the academy has defined for this obfervation. 3. To the end, that in cafe it fhall be neceffary to erect any buildings, workmen, &c. way be fent, and proper meafures be taken, that if there be not a fufficient number s of of aftronomers in the academy for completing the observations in the places pitched upon by the academy, I propofe, and take upon me to find out among my marine fubjects, fuch as, during the interval between the prefent time and the tranfit of Venus, may be perfected in the habit of obferving, under the eyes of the profeffors, fo as to be employed to advantage in this expedition, and to the fatisfaction of the academy. You will, Mr Count, tranfmit me the answer of the academy, with its full opinion about every thing above, that I may give orders for the whole, without lofs of time. Moscow, March 3. 1767. CATHERINE. A letter from M. Ramousky, of the Imperial Academy of Sciences at Petersburg, to Mr Short, of the Royal Society of Lesson. SIR, Expected your letter impatiently, and received it the 6th-17th of October. We were fome what in doubt as to our anfwering the views of our fovereign, till the arrival of your letter, which diffipated our uneasiness in respect of the inftruments. Judge yourself, Sir, how fatiffactory it was to us to understand that you would take upon you to procure us the neceffary inftruments, and, moreover, to give us your advice how to proceed fuccessfully in this important obfervation. I thank you, Sir, in the name of the academy, and on my own account efpecially, hoping a more favourable occafion of teflifying my obligations. At prefent, I refer to your judgement the measures the academy has taken with relation to the tranfit of Venus. Purfuant to her Imperial Majefty's or. ders, in her letter to his Excellency Count Wolodimer Orloff, director of the academy, the copy whereof I herewith fend you, the academy having reprefented, that the propereft places in the Ruthian empire for the obfervation of the duration of the tranfit, are Kola, and parts near it, and for the exit, the borders of the Cafpian fea, has befeeched her Majefty to be pleased to send two obfervers to the north, and two to the CaIpian. The ftations named by the academy, are Kola, Solowetskoy, Monaftir, Aftracan, and Orenburg. The Empress, in accordance to the reprefentations of the academy, apprehenfive of the precarigps state of the weather at the end of May at Kola and thereabouts, has been pleased to diftribute four other obfervers. among thofe quarters. The academy, availing itself of the high protection her Imperial Majefty has deigned to extend to this enterprife, has determined one to Jakoutske, where the duration will not be lefs than by about 2 min. 30. fec. lefs than that at Kola, Torneaö, and Cajaneburg. Mr Wargentin has informed me, that Mr Mallet of Upfal is preparing for Torneaö, and Mr Planmann for his former Cajaneburg, fo that this country will be fo fecure in fuch a multiplicity of obfervers, that it may be well hoped, that fome ilation or other will not fail of affording a complete obfervation of this phenomenon. St Petersburg, October 23. 1767. The opinion of his Majesty's PHYSICIANS and SURGEONS given, in regard to Meff. Suttons practice in INOCULATION, in confequence of a letter from Count Kaunitz Rittberg, dated Vienna, to Count Seilern, Ambaffador from the Emprefs-Queen to the King of Great Bri tain. London, Jan. 23. 1768. THE Phyficians and Surgeons of the King of G. Britain, in obedience to his Majefty's commands, tranfmitted to them by the Earl of Hertford, have duly confidered two letters delivered to them; one from Count Kaunitz to Count Seilern; the other from Sir John Pringle to Mr Brady at Bruffels. They humbly beg leave to observe, that no report whatfoever, in respect to the general fuccefs of inoculation in this country, can greatly exceed the truth [xxvii. 427.], even before the time of the Suttons, where the patients have been properly prepared before, and rightly treated during the eruption, with refpect to external heat, diet, cooling, and opening medicines. That by a ftri&t obfervance of these rules, and by a much freer ufe of the o pen, and even cold air, than was former. ly known in this country, Meff. Suttons and others have communicated the fmall pox with very great fuccefs, and have thrown fome new lights upon the fubject of inoculation, particularly with relpect to the expofing of patients to the open air; that the inoculators in England in general have adopted this method, and experience the fuccefs of it daily. That That they are of opinion, that the great fuccefs of Meff. Suttons is to be attributed to the advantages arifing from the expofition to colder air, from a judicious treatment, and the due obfervance of fome other rules, which have ufually been followed in this country before; and not to any peculiar noftrum, or specific remedy. That they have no doubt, but that the method of inoculation practifed in England with fuch univerfal fuccefs, would be as fuccessful at Vienna, provided the inoculation was performed with the fame skill and prudence, and the patients were equally fubmiffive to the rules directed. In answer to Sir John Pringle's letter, they beg leave to oblerve, that on the whole body of a patient inoculated by Sut ton, though it will very frequently happen that the number of puftules will not be more than a dozen, yet fometimes, though very rarely, they will greatly exceed two hundred. SIR, London, Jan. 1768. THE national debt is now computed to be about one hundred and fortyfive millions of pounds Sterling. Many people know this, and it is often mentioned in converfation; but I believe few have formed an idea of the bulk of fuch a fum, that is in any degree adequate to it. A man may talk of a thousand pounds (if he has often feen it in cafh) with fome idea of the space it takes up: but when he comes to talk of sums he has never feen, as for inftance, of millions, the image grows indiftinct, and there is very little difference between the idea of a million, and that of ten millions, an hundred, or a thousand millions. I make no doubt therefore that there are people, who, if they were afked the question, would tell you they conceived that the national debt in cash might be contained in a very large cheft; others, who would laugh at that idea, might conceive that it would fcarce exceed forty or fifty wag. gon loads. Few would imagine that fuch a line of waggons, reaching from the Exchange to Highgate, with a tun weight in each, would not contain it; and fewer still, that such a line, extending to St Alban's, would still be infufficient. And yet I think as much money as fuch a line of waggons would carry has been given by the C-s of Ed in one much of course, and of so small importance, as to be done in a very thin h- -e, where the S― could hardly muster half a dozen mrs to attend him with the grant to the the. They are not able to afcertain the number that he has inoculated, but be lieve he has not been always fuccessful, though he has failed fo very feldom, that they do not think that it ought to be confidered as an objection to his method. Sir John Pringle mentions, that when Sutton is called to people in the natural ímall pox, who are in danger, and at the height, the first thing that he does to re-in, and looked upon as a thing fo lieve them is, to expose them to the open air, to carry them into it if it be poffible, and this even in the winter; and if they are not in a condition to be removed, he orders all the windows and bed-curtains to be thrown open. They apprebend this practice has been found unfuccessful, The Suttons are undoubtedly in fome respects improvers in the art of inoculation, but by applying their rules too generally, and by their not making a proper allowance for the difference of conftitutions, have frequently done harm. All their improvements have been adopted by other inoculators, and in the hands of these the art feems to be carried to a very great perfection, In order to help my own conceptions in this matter, I have made the calculation following, which, if you please, you may communicate to the public. To avoid fractions, I fuppofe a troy ounce of filver worth but five fhillings. Twelve ounces make one pound troy weight, which pound troy weight is then worth three pounds Sterling money. Taking then one third of the number of pounds Sterling contained in our national debt, we have the number of pounds of filver in troy weight, 48,333,333 lb. These reduced to avoirdupois weight, by the ingenius Mr Ferguton's table, make 39,771,427 lb. of filver in avoirdupois. Allowing one tun, or 20 hundred pounds weight avoirdupois, to be a proper travelling load for a waggon with four hor les, fes, it would require nineteen thousand fed to the view of King, Lords, and eight hundred eighty-fix waggons of four Commons, I fancy the united voice would hories each to travel with that fum; be, "O, 'tis too much: give the -s and the number of horfes would be fe- one half of it." venty-nine thousand five hundred and forty-four. Farther, if we allow to each waggon in the line a length of eighteen yards to move in (and the allowance cannot well be less to keep the nose of the fore horse from being hurt by the tail of the prece ding waggon), I fay, then, that at 1760 yards the mile, this train of waggons would reach two hundred and three miles; that is, from London to York, and farther. A merchant of note being once reproach. ed with the debts he owed, replied, "Yes, Sir, I owe more than you are worth; and you cannot be trusted for half the money." This perhaps we might fay to fome of our neighbours: and I would have our countrymen reflect, by way of confolation, that if they are much in debt, it is a fign they are much in credit, upon which I congratulate them. But in the mean time I hope this idea of the largeness of our debt will tend to make us a little more careful how we increase it, and put us upon seriously endeavouring to diminish it; that the invaluable credit we at prefent have in the world may be always maintained as a fure fource of strength in time of need. Perhaps you may ask me, how we can diminish it fafter than we do? There is a story that one of our kings having ordered five hundred pounds to some person for a trivial service, his treafurer thought the reward too great, and to convince him of it, spread the fum in filver on a table near which his master was to país. "Pray" (fays the King) "what is all this money for ?"-"It is" (replied the treasurer) "the fum your Majefty has ordered to fuch a one for fuch a fervice."-"O" (fays he) "tis too much give the knave one half of it." If by this honest artifice of the treafurer's, the public too could be made to fee the fums they give, I imagine they might be induced to give with more moderation. Suppofe, for inftance, that the fervices to the state yearly performed by most of the great officers happily inrolled in the Red Book of life, were to be loudly proclaimed in Westminster-hall, and at the fame time the fums in cafh which they receive for thofe fervices, were to be placed in heaps on the floor, expo But as this method of demonstration (during the present scarcity of hard money) cannot well be taken, I with, however, that the acute Mr Almon, in his next edition of the Red Book, would diftinâly, against the names of placemen, give us an account of their falaries and perquifites, computed in pecks, bushels, and waggon-loads of filver. Such an account, I believe, would make us all flare, and fome of us, perhaps, afhamed. And who knows but fome future patriot, alarmed by fo ftriking a demonflration of our prodigality, may undertake (on condition of being well paid himself) to think of ways and means to remedy the evil. An ECONOMIST. SIR, Edinburgh, Jan. 1768. A Mong the many ufeful letters which come abroad, none has ever yet appeared, fo far as I have feen, that has propofed a remedy for the clamant_cafe of the poor and to prevent, if poffible, their being brought into fuch pinching ftraits for future, it were greatly to be wifhed, that fome able pen (now that the parliament has under their confideration the high prices of all forts of provifions) would digeft fome fuch method as the following, which might prove effectual to afcertain the prices of all forts of grain, cattle, butter, cheese, &c. Suppofe there are in G. Britain 12 millions of people, or upwards: allow to each perfon for eating, and drinking, 4 bolls per ann.; this will amount to 48 millions of bolls of the different grains of wheat, barely, oats, and peafe. If the legiflature would be pleafed to tax the buyer of each of the above grains, with one halfpenny per boll, which none would ever grudge, this wonld produce a fum of 100,000 1. Sterling. Let them alfo appoint 1200 or 1500 skiltul upright men, to travel through the different counties of the kingdom, during the time of harveft, and to calculate the produce of the above grains, allowing to each county twelve, fifteen, or more, if requifite, where the counties are large, and ten or fewer, where they are finall. They may eafily finish their account during the harveft-quarter, and return the whole amount of grains to whomever the legiflature fhall appoint. The above gen tlemen An effay to find the distance from the FIRST MERIDIAN. LET it be granted, that a table may be formed, containing the right a fcenfion of every meridian that will be in the zenith, or mid-heaven, of any one place, for every mid-day, every hour, every minute, and every second of time, for any defired time to come. Let the mariner be provided with fuch a table. Let him likewife be provided with another table, containing the right ascenfion of all fuch fixed itars as are easily obfervable by the naked eye. tlemen to have each a falary of 60 1. per annum, out of the above 100,000 1. which falaries, if 1500 be employed, will amount to 90,000l. the furplus to be applied to the clerks of the different parishes, where the farmers refide, for keeping a register of the number of each farmer's family, fervants included, who fhould annually give in the number of his familv to the clerk-register, attefted by a jufice of the peace, or another proper magiftrate, and after deducting the landlord's rent, allowing a moderate computing for each of the family's fubfiftence, a mode rate fum for the farmer's labour, cloathing himself, his wife and children, (if any); the price of the remainder of his grain may then be easily afcert know at once his latitude, and what me Provided likewife, that he make oath be- ridian paffes through his zenith, every fore a judge competent, that he has fold time he obferves the culmination of any none of his crop, or exchanged it for any well-known ftar, elevated at least 35 degoods directly or indirectly. This done grees above his horizon. Or he may know for seven years, the medium may afcer- the right ascension of any meridian paffing tain the price for twenty years afterwards, through his zenith, by obferving, with a (except when visited for our fins with a line and plummet, when the line cuts a Famine from heaven); or else the infpec- ny two ftars, which have the fame right tion of the above gentlemen to continue afcenfion, and elevated as above. for ever hereafter; and that when there is a call for exportation according to law, the price of grain in Britain never to exceed the medium, or that afcertained from the inspectors amount. Extract of a letter from Mr John Wright, collector of feeds, and gardener at Quebec, to the clerk of the fociety for importing foreign feeds. [xxviii. 614.] Quebec, Sept. 1767. I Have the pleasure to inform you, that I have already fome bushels of the feeds of four new fpecies of plane trees, which are the most beautiful trees I have feen in the fouthern parts of Canada. I have also the feeds of two new fpecies of elm, which grow in the wet ground, up. wards of 100 feet high. The introduction of thefe will, I hope, prove beneficial to my native country. It is needlefs to mention to you the hardships, during fome long journeys I have undergone thefe laft three months in the interior deferts of Canada; they were beyond expreffion. I had almost forgot to tell you, that I have found a fpecies of iron wood (fideroxylon), the finest wood perhaps in the world. Being thus provided, every failor may It is certain, that the longitude fought must be the distance in degrees, minutes, &c. between the times of the observed ftars being in the meridian of the two places. And as every fixed ftar's right afcenfion is invariably the fame, whereever it may be feen, the longitude fought must be the diftance in degrees, minutes, &c. between the observed star's -place, when in the meridian of the obferver, and the time and right of ascension affixed to that time, when it fhall be, or has been, in the mid heaven of London (for instance.) But one of the tables gives the right afcenfion of the obferved ftar; the other table gives the time of its coming on the mid-heaven of London, and the right af cenfion affixed to that time, for that day. The distance between these times, gives the longitude fought, in degrees, minutes, &c. which degrees, minutes, &ci converted into time, gives the time when the cbfervation was made. By this means,, all that the obfervet has to do, is, to be as fure as he can, that he has the obferved ftar, in his midheaven, at the time of making his obfervation. He has the knowledge of every thing elfe, which he wants to know, from his tables. |