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many is to be obtained by their subservience to the few, and the consequent aggrandisement of the few at the expense of the many.

Man having thus delivered himself up, a willing slave, to the congenial tyrannies of superstition and despotism, was, of course, condemned to pay the penalty of his folly; and no small portion of this penalty consisted in the embezzlement and misdirection of his labour by those holy allies! History is but one exemplification of the infinite fertility of the mind of man, and of the infinite folly with which he has bartered away the fruits of this amazing fertility. Labour is the natural wealth of man-a power given him, by which to acquire a command over the boundless capacities of nature to minister to his comfort and enjoyment. The abuse of this beneficent and powerful agent, forms one of the darkest chapters in his melancholy history. To bestow a proper direction upon this great power to economise its resources, and to distribute its productions, so as to extract from them the greatest amount of good to the community, must be a science of the first importance to individuals and societies.

This

science is Political Economy. Had this important science been properly understood, and its doctrines honestly acted upon, what a spectacle would what is called civilized society have presented at this day! Instead of the frightful and afflicting contrasts which every large city in Europe

exhibits

"Of life's extremes, the grandeur and the gloom," a scene of peace, order, and prosperity, would have been exhibited, and man would have realised that happiness which his benevolent Creator designed for him.

It is the misfortune of science, that it is frequently some considerable time before she will descend from her elevation, and render herself accessible to ordinary men. This has been hitherto the case with Political Economy; and to a lady, one of that sex to whom we owe so much, are we indebted for the first attempt to introduce its doctrines and rules, in an easy, familiar, and elementary form to the public. We cordially wish her success; and if the succeeding numbers of the work, which are to appear monthly, are written with the spirit and ability, the excellent sense, and perspicuous arrangement of the present, we have no hesitation in saying, she will have made a valuable contribution to the stock of our elementary lite

rature, and added largely to the fund of our practical knowledge.

But it is high time the author should speak for herself; and in her admirable preface, she has so well described the objects of the volume before us, that we cannot do better than present the reader with the following extracts:

"Can any thing more nearly concern all the members of any society, than the way in which the necessaries and comforts of life may be best procured and enjoyed by all? Is there any thing in any other study (which does not involve this) that can be compared with it in interest and importance? And yet Political Economy has been less studied than perhaps any other science whatever, and not at all by those whom it most concerns-the mass of the people."

"Political Economy treats of the Production, Distribution, and Consumption of Wealth; by which term is meant whatever material objects contribute to the support and enjoyment of life. Domestic economy is an interesting subject to those who view it as a whole; who observe how, by good management in every department, all the members of a family have their proper business appointed them, their portion of leisure secured to them, their wants supplied, their comforts promoted, their pleasures cared for; how harmony is preserved within doors, by the absence of all causes of jealousy; how good-will prevails towards all abroad, through the absence of all causes of quarrel. It is interesting to observe by what regulations all are temperately fed with wholesome food, instead of some being pampered above-stairs while others are starving below; how all are clad as becomes their several stations, instead of some being brilliant in jewels and purple and fine linen, while others are shivering in nakedness; how all have something, be it much or little, in their purses, instead of some having more than they can use, while others are tempted to snatch from them in the day-time or purloin by night. Such extremes as

these are seldom or never to be met with under the same roof in the present day, when domestic economy is so much better understood than in the times when such sights were actually seen in rich men's castles; but in that larger family—the nation,-every one of these abuses still exists, and many more."

"But the people complain, and justly, that no assistance has been offered them which they could make use of. They complain that all they can do is to pick up bits and scraps of knowledge of Political Economy, because the works which profess to teach it have been written for the learned, and can interest only the learned. This is very true, and it is the consequence of the science being new. All new sciences are for some time engrossed by the learned, both because preparation is required before they can be generally understood, and because it is some time before men perceive how close an interest the bulk of society has in every new truth. It is certain, however, that sciences are only valuable in as far as they involve the interests of mankind at large, and that nothing can prevent their sooner or later influencing general happiness.

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"The works already written on Political Economy almost all bear a reference to books which have preceded, or consist in part of discussions of disputed points. Such references and such discussions are very interesting to those whom they concern, but offer a poor introduction to those to whom the subject is new. There are a few, a very few, which teach the science systematically as far as it is yet understood. These too are very valuable, but they do not give us what we want-the science in a familiar, practical form. They give us its history; they give us its philosophy; but we want its picture. They give us truths, and leave us to look about us, and go hither and thither in search of illustrations of those truths. Some who have a wide range in society and plenty of leisure, find this all-sufficient; but there are many more who have neither time nor opportunity for such an application of what they learn. We cannot see why the truth and its application should not go together-why an explanation of the principles which regulate society, should not be made more clear and interesting at the same time, by pictures of what those principles are actually doing in communities."

"This is the method in which we propose to convey the leading truths of Political Economy, as soundly, as systematically, as clearly and faithfully, as the utmost pains-taking and the strongest attachment to the subject will enable us to do."

Having thus clearly and forcibly explained the objects of the work, she proceeds to lay down, at the conclusion of the preface, the principles of the science which the present number is designed to illustrate. The tale itself, which is the material vehicle for her illustrations, is very simply and neatly told; and the truths which it is designed to recommend and enforce, are very naturally and distinctly brought out. It professes to be the history of the hardships of a party of English settlers in South Africa, who had been stripped by the ferocious bushmen of every thing, to the very clothes which they wore-of the difficulties which they had to encounter, and the expedients to which they had recourse, in the absence of tools, to economise and distribute their labour-and of the happy results to which a judicious division and arrangement of this labour contributed. In the course of this little tale, which is in itself in a high degree affecting and ingenious, some of the great principles of Political Economy are clearly and strikingly developed; and whilst the attention of the reader is sustained by amusing incidents, and graphic delineations of character and natural objects, he is surprised with the reception of some of the most recondite and important of its truths; but an extract will illustrate this much better than we can pretend to do.

"WHAT IS WEALTH?

"Well, my friend," said the captain to Mr. Stone, as they sat watching their fire," how do you feel at the close of this strange day?"

"Very much as if I were in a dream. When I look round this place and think of all that I have seen and done since morning, I can scarcely believe that we are the same people, living in the same age of the world, as yesterday. We seem to have gone back, in the course of a night, from a state of advanced civilization to a primitive condition of society."

"Except," interrupted his friend, "that the intelligence belonging to a state of advancement remains.

33

"True," replied Mr. Stone; "and it is this which makes the present too good an opportunity to be lost, of observing what the real wealth of society consists of, and what the unassisted labour of man can do towards producing that wealth."

"I wish," said the captain, "that the people in England, who think that wealth consists in gold, and silver, and bank-notes, would come here, and see how much their money is worth in our settlement. A thousand sovereigns would not here buy a hat, nor a roll of bank-notes a loaf of bread. Here, at least, money is not wealth.

"Nor any where else," said Mr. Stone," as we may see by putting a very simple case. Put a man with a bag of gold into an empty house, in England, or any where else, and he will starve in a week, unless he is allowed to give his gold in exchange for what will supply his wants. But give a man who has not a shilling, a room well stocked with meat, and bread, and beer, and he has wealth enough to maintain him for a week or a fortnight, or as long as his provision lasts. And this is a test which holds good all the world over."

"And yet gold and silver may be called riches," said the captain, "while they procure us things of greater value than themselves."

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Certainly; they are, as long as they can be made use of, a part of wealth, though only one, and that not the greatest part. Wealth is made up of many things-of land, of houses, of clothes, furniture, food, and of the means (whether gold and silver or any thing else) by which these things may be obtained. Whatever lives, or grows, or can be produced, that is necessary, or useful, or agreeable to mankind, is wealth."

"Then our settlement," said the captain," is not stripped of all its property. We have some wealth left."*

Wishing the amiable author all the success which her talents and philanthropy deserve; and in the good hope of soon meeting her again, we bid her farewell for the present.

* We advise the reader also carefully to study the conversations at pages 46 to 56, 75 to 83, and 87 to 99. He will there find a great deal of knowledge conveyed in a very unassuming form.

The Athanasian Apostacy rejected. By a Bible Christian. To which is added, Dr. Channing's Tract, entitled, "Objections to Unitarian Christianity considered;" p. 127. Hunter, London.

ANOTHER addition to the increasing number of those who are obliged by reason and Scripture, to reject the reveries of Athanasius, and to adhere to the Christian doctrine, "To us there is but one God, the Father." In the introductory remarks, the author states, "The following pages were prepared, and are published for two reasons; first, because I agree with every real Christian in believing that we are bound to promote the welfare of our race, to the utmost of our ability, and that the welfare of all is best promoted by the extensive spread and firm establishment of divine truth; secondly, to afford my fellow-men and acquaintance an opportunity to learn truly by what authority I oppose prevailing opinions, and at the same time to show them, that I am no infidel or unbeliever-no denier of Scripture or of the God of Scripture-or of Jesus Christ our Saviour." The author divides his subject into six parts, adducing the Scriptural evidence to prove the Unity and sole Deity of God, even the Father-and that Jesus Christ was not God, but distinct from, and subordinate to, him; and examining the various passages brought forward in proof of the Trinity, and the two natures of Christ. Mr. Yates' "Vindication" and " Sequel," has suggested the plan, and chiefly furnished the materials of this little work, which, as a condensed collection of the evidence from the Bible, in relation to the Oneness of God" our Father," will be useful to persons who may be unable to obtain the larger works. This "Bible Christian" is understood to be Mr. Thomas Cobbett, a nephew of the celebrated political writer, and many of his remarks will remind the reader of the downright plainness of his relation's style.

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THE CHRISTIAN PIONEER.

GLASGOW, FEBRUARY 1, 1832,

FROM the December Number of the Unitarian Advocate, we extract the following sketch of the Unitarian Societies of the Congregational denomination in America:-The Unitarians of "the Christian," "Free Church," "Universalist," and Quaker

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