Clapham, M.A. Vicar of Chrift Church, Hants; of Great 26 pp. IS. Vernor and Hood, &c. 1806. This difcourfe is founded on the words of our Saviour recorded by St. John, Chap. vi. p. 53 and 54; and the facrament there apparently alluded to is confidered by Mr. C. as he fays it is evidently apprehended by the compilers of our evangelical Liturgy, as a feast upon a facrifice; a feaft upon the fymbols of that body and blood of Chrift, which was made the one great facrifice for the fins of mankind:" and we quite agree with the worthy author, that as "the Sacrament of Baptifm is a means of grace, and a pledge of affurance that our original fin is washed away; fo the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is the channel through which the remiffion of our actual tranf greffions is conveyed." P. 4. It is what may be called a fupplementary Sacrament, to remove the effects of thofe actual fins, that are from time to time committed, after our first purification in Baptifm. : The difcourfe, being founded on thefe principles, and being ably handled, is evidently of a very ufelul kind and though we do not agree with the author in his opinion of the ufelefsnefs of addreffing more abftracted fpeculations to an affembly of the Clergy, (P. 2.) we much approve of the fubject he has here taken, and his manner of difcuffing it. The neglect of the Sacrament is in many parifhes highly blameable, and therefore a re. monftrance of this kind is highly judicious. ART. 17. Salvation by Chrift alone. A Sermon preached at Orange-Street Chapel, Portsea, July 13, 1806. By James Churchill, Ongar, Effex. 2410. 34 PF. 6d. Flower, Harlow, &c. 1806: We believe that this preacher, or any other, would find it difficult to name a minister (in or out of the established Church) who delivers fuch doctrines as thefe: "Lord, I have done all that was required of me; and am now come to put in my claim for heaven. I expect it as the reward of my own obedience.” P. 13." Obedience to the law, the meritorious caufe of falva. tion." P. 30. Sectaries, in thefe days, require to be strongly admonished, that it is a most high offence against Christian charity to impute to other men doctrines witich they do not teach nor hold. Indeed, at p. 21, 22, this preacher maintains a doctrine concerning final and infallible affurance of falvation, (for fuch is the fubftance of those pages) which we are forry to hear from any humble chriftian, as we truft he is, though in this particular he may have forgotten himself. ART. ART. 28. A Scriptural Guide to the Knowledge of the Gospel; in the Form of a Catechifm. By a Clergyman. 24mo. 12 PP. 2d. Hatchard. 1808. In the title-page the defign of this work is properly fet forth: "This little work is defigned principally for the inftruction of young perfons in the leading truths of the Gofpel; and the author hopes it may prove ufeful to others who ftand in need of information on a fubject fo infinitely important; or who defire at least to understand thofe parts of true religion, which are thought more immediately neceffary to falvation. In the compofition, care is taken to preclude every reasonable ground of objection to the doctrines here taught, by giving the answers to the feveral questions, for the most part, in the exprefs words of the infpired writings.' We cordially with fuccefs to every charitable and judicious effort towards facilitating to the poor a real knowledge of the Scriptures. The prefent effort is of this kind: yet we would offer one fuggeftion to the author, of which he may avail himself in another edition:-that in fome cafes, an important doctrine cannot be fully proved, much lefs clearly explained, by the production of a fingle text of Scripture, feparated not only from the immediate context, but from the whole chain of argument. remark is particularly applicable to fome quotations here made from the Epiftle to the Romans. We must add, that this Guide by no means fuperfedes the ufe of our most excellent Church Catechifm. This ART. 29. A Sermon preached at St. John's Church, Blackburn, Lancashire, on Wednesday, February 25, 1807, being the Day appointed by his Majefty for a public Faft. By the Rev. Thomas Stevenfon, M. A. Incumbent Curate of the faid Church. 8vo. 34 PP. Is. 6d. Banifter and Parker, Blackburn; Rivingtons and Hatchard, London. 1807. The author might have fpared his apology, for adding to the great number of faft fermons already publifhed, one as refpectable as this; which we regret that we did not more early fee and notice. The Corfican ufurper is thus juftly fpoken of; and his character cannot be too strongly impreffed on the minds of Englishmen; UNIVERSAL DOMINION feems to be the object nearest to his heart: to attain his darling object; and as a confiderable means thereto, to humble and fubjugate this country, and to gain poffeffion of its proud and victorious navy;-all the powers and faculties of his mind and body are indefatigably exercifed, all the refources of his vaft empire are called out and vigorously employed, all the talents and activity and experience of his minifters and generals are unceasingly occupied. In short, this Child and Champion of Jacobinifm' appears determined to fpare no pains, to decline no danger, to be deterred by no difficulties, to fhun no facrifice either of treasure or of blood, in order to reach, if poffible, the highest ftep of the ladder of ambition, and to become UNIVERSAL EMPEROR." P. 7. The points infifted upon in this difcourfe (on Ifaiah lix. 1, 2.) are thefe two:" ft. God's GOVERNMENT OF THE WORLD; 2ndly. THE CAUSE which induces him to hide his face, at any time, from his people, to refufe to hear their prayers, and to fuffer them to be minifhed and brought low, through plague or trouble, and their enemies to opprefs and have them in fubjection." P. 9. By found arguments each of these points is established; and from the useful admonitions here fuggefted, to our countrymen of all ranks, we felect the following: "Of the JUSTICE and NECESSITY of the prefent war, there is no need for me to fay a word; for fo univerfally are thefe felt and admitted throughout the kingdom, that fcarcely an individual is to be found who is difpofed to call them in queflion. As little occafion is there for me to endeavour to convince you that EVERY MEMBER of this free community is moft deeply interested in the iffee of the contest, It is not the caufe of one man only, or of one order of men. It is the caufe of us all. It is the cause of the poor as well as the rich, of the mechanic as well as the noble, of the humble day-labourer as well as the king on the throne. In short, it is one common intereft. The fecurity of our perfons and our property, of our brethren, our fons and our daughters, our wives and our houses,' our civil and religious liberties; every thing dear and valuable to us, as Englishmen and as Christians, is at stake. Were our enemy to fucceed in his attempt to conquer and enflave this country, which hitherto hath been the chief obftacle to the execution of his ambitious plans; inexpreffibly cruel would be the fate that would await us. On as would be tumbled [an unlucky word] the full tide of his vengeance; on us would be poured the whole cup of his fury, his rage and indignation. In the language of the adverfaries of Judæa, defcribed by the Pfalmift, he would arrogantly exclaim to his fervile millions, "Come, and let us root them out, that they be no more a people; and that the name of Britain may be no more in remembrance.' Well might every true fon take up the lamentation of the Prophet Jeremiah, when he fo feelingly bewailed the calamities that had befallen Jerufalem: How doth the city fit folitary, that was full of people! how is the become as a widow! She that was great among the nations, and princefs among the provinces, how is fhe become tributary !'". P. 24. 6 A a BRIT, CRIT, VOL. XXXI. MARCH, 1808. ART. ART. 30. On Singularity and Excefs, in Philological Speculation; a Sermon preached before the Univerfity of Oxford, at St. Mary's, on Sunday April 19, 1807. By Richard Laurence, LL.D. Rector of Merbam, Kent. 8vo. 41 PP 25. Parker, Ox ford; Rivingtors, London. 1807. This is fuch a difcourfe as is highly proper for a learned congregation, and could not indeed have been addreffed to any other. The author begins by developing the motives which generally lead to fubtle and refined fpeculations, and then undertakes to notice. a few of those which are particularly of a philological nature. Nor can it be denied that in this, and in other ways, the refinements even of those who meant well, but were ambitious to ftrike out fomething new and fingular, have often been of evil tendency. The first error noticed by Dr. L. is that of thofe interpreters, who have endeavoured too minutely to deduce the fictions of Heathen mythology from the fource of divine truth. As when the learned, but frequently too fubtle Bochart, from the fimi. larity in the letters, derives the God Silenus, and the fables relating to him, from the Hebrew name SHILOH. Dr. L. allows, indeed, that there are real coincidences in fome parts of the Pagan mythology, which could not well have refulted from chance, but protests against the too extenfive pursuit of fuch facts, left by attempting to prove too much, we expofe ourfelves to the harsh cenfure of proving nothing." His next inftances are taken from the cabbalistical fyftem of interpretation, and that which very strongly resembles it the Hutchinfonian method: and the fpecimens which he gives of each are well felected. But in much fronger terms, as justice indeed demands, does he reprobate the Socinian mode of interpretation; which, in order to expel Scriptural doctrines from Scriptural phrafeology, conftantly affixes to it a fuppofed idiomatical or metaphorical meaning." In this, as he justly obferves, the Socinians are the exact imitators of the ancient Sadducees; but very far from deferving the name of rational expofitors. He inftances in their abfurd mode of explaining away the fimply fublime expreffion of "Before Abraham was, I AM ;" and the denominations "Son of God," and "Son of Man," as applied to our Saviour; the real import of which he ably explains and vindi. cates. He notices alfo the fhifts to which they are driven to get rid of the doctrine of atonement. The laft inftance given is from the attempts of verbal critics to introduce fanciful emendations into the Sacred Text. All thefe examples are fupported," in the notes, by learned, and fometimes extenfive quotations. From this abftract of Dr. Laurence's difcourfe, the intelligent reader will fee at once, that it well deserves the attentive perufal of all learned and critical divines, MISCELLANIES. ART. 31. Gerufalemme Liberata, di Torquato Taffa. Con Note Offià fpiegazione de' luoghi più ofcuri, dilucidazioni grammaticali, et Imitazioni dai Claffici Antichi. Il tutta riveduto da Romualdo Zotti, al Ufo degli ftudiofi della Lingua Italiana., 12mo. 2 vols. 15s. Dulau, &c, 1806. Mr. Zotti is a very intelligent and skilful teacher of the Ita lian language, whofe grammar, founded upon that of Veneroni, we have noticed in different editions. There is perhaps nothing more useful, which fuch a teacher can do, for the fervice of his pupils, than putting into their hands editions of the best Italian claffics, fo illuftrated, as to remove the difficulties, and explain the beauties of their ftyle and language. The notes are in general fhort, but they are numerous, efpecially on the first book. We fhall infert one or two fpecimens. On Canto I. St. 6. Mr. Zotti fays, "Di qui comincia l'azione. Le imprefe precedenti fi narrang qua e là, quando al poeta cade meglio in acconcio. Nicea prima mente fu prefa a Solimano per affalto, con aiuto dell' imperador greco, e Antiochi pofcia, dopo un affedio di otto mefi. Corba gat, generale de' Perfi, fopravvenne poi con infinito efercito, ma all a fine rimafe fconfitto con la perdita di ben centomila uomini,” Canto II. St. 14. "Quindi comincia il primo epifodio del quale, comecche belliffimo, è ftato detto sì gran male, e sì gran bene, primieramente da' nemici e dagli amici del Taffo, e poi da tutti quei fra gli ftranieri che hanno fcritto delle materie poetiche, i quali non hanno in fine che ripetuto le cofe fteffe. Credefi troppo tofto introdotto, e poco conneffo, e che pizzichi affai di lirico. Di quefto dubitò l'autore ifteffo, come apparifce da una fua lettera; ma gli altri due capi d' accufa ebbe sempre in non cale. L'epifodio di Crifeide in Oméro viene introdotto al primo canto, e ad altro fcopo non tende che a dimoftrare i caratteri d' Agamemnone, e d' Achille, ne più fe ne intende parola, Così nel Taffo I' epifodio di Sofronia moftra in tutto il fuo lume la crudelta di Aladino, e l'infelicità de' Criftiani che erano a lui foggetti; e inafprendo lo fdegno delle armato, guiftifica maggiormente lo fcepo delle crociate. Giova pur anche ad introdurre Clorinda, eroina al poema importantiffima, e fa in oltre un bel contrasto per imaginie per fentimenti per effere appunto inferito dopo il catalogo delle truppe." See Br. Cr. xv. p. 209, and xxix. p. 340, A a z Мару |