to fupport the liberties of Europe, against an overbearing and predatory force, feems deftined to encounter the affaults of Envy, blindly rushing to its own deftruction. The ftorm lowers on every fide; and the power that wages war againft ali duties, human and divine, is daily gaining strength by victories. With this general afpect opens the nineteenth century; marked in its commencement, throughout the greater part of Europe, by the dejection of the good, and the triumph of the profligate. In this country the wifdom of the Government, and the patriotic union of good men, have hitherto repelled the demon of deftruction. They have made, even of this gloomy period, a time of exultation: an æra of united strength and vigour in the empire, of the highest naval glory, and commercial wealth. The refult is in His hands who governs all things;-to whom the good fubmit without a murmur, however painful His decrees. If He has refolved to give men up to the worft of all earthly punishments, their own infatuated minds, He may yet perhaps, as hitherto He has, make Britain a wonderful exception to the general lot Whatever be the end, retired and patient fcholars fhould, above all others, be prepared to know and teach the line of duty. Our office is clearly marked. It is, to wield the arms that we are competent to ufe, in defence of a pure church and wifely ordered ftate, as long as Heaven fhall think the nation worthy of those eminent diftinctions. Beyond that, we refufe to fpeculate; nor will we meet the opening century with any worfe-omened fentence, refpecting our national polity, than ESTO PERPETUA. Let us, however, quit the fiate of Politics for that of Literature; and firft, as ufual, of DIVINITY. DIVINITY. If we take the most important work which our half year's labour has furveyed, the first place must undoubtedly be given to the Annotations on the Four Gofpels, published by the Rev. Mr. Ellefly*. The judicious and highly ufeful nature of this learned compilation, leaves us nothing to wifh but a continuation of the work through the remainder of the facred volume a labour, which the fame fpirit will readily undertake, and the fame judgment perform with equal credit. The Bampton Lectures, preached by Mr. Richardst, next demand our notice. They form a volume, in which the divine origin of Prophecy is, with great strength of reafoning, and fingular eloquence of language, illuftrated and maintained; and afford a proof, that the fpirit of a poet is well calculated to give life and vigour to the leffons of the theologian. The Paftoral Care, a pofthumous work of the able divine, Dr. Alexander Gerard‡, has rendered that fervice to the Church of Scotland, which our own has long derived from the work of Bishop Burnet, published under a fimilar title. Dr. John Smith, another clergyman of that Church, has alfo published a work of the fame tendency, entitled Lectures on the Nature and End of the Sacred Offices. It is a work of piety and merit, but not calculated to fuperfede the prior publication. A volunteer in the fervice of Theology, of great worth and rational piety, has added to his work, the Morfels of Criticism, a fecond part, pursuing the fpeculations and enquiries of the former to a further extent. Mr. King's particular aim is to provide answers to the more fubtile opponents of Chriftianity, and to trace, with the * No. III. p. 225. We obferve, that, by an error of the prefs, we have called this annotator's vicarage, Burenfton, inftead of Burnefton, + No. IV. p. 379. No. II. p. 172. No. VI. p. 661. P. 226. § No. V. p. 562. fame humility as before, the completion of the facred oracles. To fuch a writer, and fuch a defign, we fhould be very inconfiftent if we did not wish fuccefs. In a volume, entitled a Call for Union with the eftablished Church, Dr. Huntingford* labours ftrenuously to remove the prejudices of Diffenters, and to explain how trivial in general thofe matters are, at which they allow themfelves to take offence. Nothing indeed can more fully illuftrate the impoflibility of bringing men to be of one mind, than the failure, in that refpect, of the cautious, wife, and truly primitive compilers of our admirable Liturgy. Whatever be its effect, Dr. Huntingford's attempt is highly laudable. Of Sermons collected into volumes, we have noticed fome, whofe merit demands our further teftimony. Among thefe, Mr. Cowe's Twelve Sermons, on the Advantages of Chriflianityt, may claim an early and an honourable place. The tracts fubjoined are alfo useful, and drawn up with a benevolent defign to affift the poor. The Sermons of Dr. Dalgliefh‡, on the Doctrines and Duties of Chriftianity, denote a ftudious mind in the writer, and require it in the reader; but they are worthy of the attention they afk, and cannot be read without advantage. The fpirited eloquence of Mr. Sydney Smith's Six Sermons§ gave confequence to a fmall volume, and excites a hope for more laborious and equally fuccefsful efforts of the fame pen. The felections from Boffuet, which Mr. Jerningham put together, will ferve as a fpecimen, to the English reader, of an eloquence, with which, in its native form, he might not ever, perhaps, have made acquaintance. Sermons and Charges, in a feparate form, have occupied their ufual fhare in our lucubrations, if fo we may be allowed to term them. In this clafs the Charges of two Bishops de‡ No. III. p. 257. * No. VI. p. 640. + No. II. p. 118. No. IV. p. 388. fervedly fervedly take the lead; though we confefs ourfelves fo old-fashioned as to think even the office of thofe writers a lawful claim to precedence. The Bishop of Chefter*, in a clear and manly ftyle, declares his caufes for fatisfaction, and for apprehenfion in his diocese, and adds fuch exhortations, as muft tend infallibly to promote the caufe of Chriftian piety. The admonitions of the Bishop of Lincolnt, are equally welltimed and falutary; and the clergy of that extenfive diocefe, feem well-difpofed to fecond the pious wishes of their able adviser. The Charge of Archdeacon Woodhoufet, in the diocefe of Lichfield, is a manly and fenfible compofition, directed immediately to the fpecific objects of the meeting. Some Vifitation Sermons of merit have alfo come to our hands. Among thefe (for we fhall not attempt to notice all) that of the Rev. John Brands holds a confpicuous rank. The novel statement, accompanied with its proof, that the prevalence of democratic principles was among the caufes that increafed the miferies, and precipitated the final deftruction of Judea, ftamps a peculiar value on this Sermon. Mr. Hare's Sermon, before the Archdeacon of Gloucefter, gives a view of the clerical character, and its operation in a country refidence, which, though very found and judicious, is in fome refpects new. The alarming attempt of a lunatic on the life of our beloved Sovereign, gave Mr. Daubeny occafion to write a Sermon, ftrongly expreffive of the loyal and religious fentiments, which diftinguish a good fubject and a good Chriftian. An able difcourfe is also fubjoined by him, to his remonftrance to Mrs. More**, on her interpretation of St. Paul. Towards the application of prophecy to events of recent date, fome Taudable attempts have been made by Mr. Faber††, and Mr. Mofeley. The full folution of thefe diffi * No. II. p. 190. No. I. p. 59, ** No. VI. p. 687. + No. III. p. 294. No. I. p. 87. No. II. p. 203. #No. IV. p. 443. culties culties time only can give, and his sentence is not yet declared. With thefe we may conclude our account of feparate Sermons; not that there are not others on which we have beftowed a well-deferved commendation; but if their general merits are nearly equal, their fubjects at leaft are not fo important, as thofe of the few which we have here enumerated. A few fmall works, on fubjects connected with Divinity, remain yet to be noticed. Mr. Brewer's Meditations of a Reclufe*, form a volume of moderate fize, in which many ufeful reflections are brought together. A fmall tract, profeffing to offer Serious Confiderations on the Signature of Teftimonials†, refers the reader to the beft authorities on the importance of the priesthood; and ftrongly argues against relaxing the falutary cautions devifed to guard the introduc tion to it. In a moral and doctrinal view, the late excellent Mrs. Bowdler had confidered the facred book of the Revelations; and her pleating tract, first published entire in the courfe of the last year, will be accepted as a valuable companion by many pious readers. The anonymous obfervations on the Seventh Form of Roman Government§, difcufs a difficult fubje& with great propriety and judgment; and though, in our opinion, they do not fully reach the truth, yet they make a near approach to it, and clear away confiderable errors. POLITICS. If we make, on this occafion, rather a rapid tranfition, from Divinity to Politics, let us plead in our defence, that the fame tranfition is made in the cele brated text of St. Paul, which every public writer fhould keep in view, and which one at length, with a moft commendable spirit, has affumed as his permanent motto¶. No. L. p. 53. + No. II. p. 205., As |
