So rush the furious heroes to the war, And of the fanguine plain the doubtful conflict dare. A dawning Milton it may eke betide, A Newton's genius here may crave the bays Due to his honours, name, and his immortal praife.' Perhaps our readers will here difcover fomething more than ar imitation of fyle and manner; but a little plag arifm is not to be difcouraged by our fublime editor, who is to profit according to the figure his pupils make in the eyes of fuperficial obfervers. Were any relative of ours under the tuition of this gentleman, it . would be a fubject of deep regret to us, to fee him exhibited in this collection, dabbling, whilst reason is only in its dawn, in the exer-cife of an art which demands the utmost perfection of the human understanding to excel in. Two Didactic Elays on Human Happiness and the Government of the Paffions. By the Rev. W. Robb, author of The Patriotic Wolves. Small 8vo. 6d. Vernor and Hood. 1793. Didactic poetry of this kind, fays the author, whofe object is to reclaim the diffolute and licentious, and to form the heart to virtue, certainly is as difficult a task as any votary of the Mufes can well undertake; becaufe, there, the imagination must be under the conftant controul of religion, otherwife the Chriftian is loft in the poet, and truth facrificed to fiction. Impreffed with a due sense of this truth, and with a view of promoting the interefts. of religion and the happiness of mankind, the author of thefe Effays humbly offers them to the public; and hopes there is not a fentiment in them, when examined with candour and impartiality, but will appear to be dictated by a spirit of rational piety.' A this we readily admit; yet though the author, with a zeal truly laudable for the caufe of religion and piety, has endeavoured to to apply the noblest of arts to the sublimest of purposes, we do not find it poffible to compliment him on the fuccefs of his exertions. RELIGIO U S. The Man of Sin. A Sermon, preached at Spring Garden Chapel, on Sunday, January 26, and at Oxford Chapel, on Sunday, February 2, 1794, and published at the Request of both Congregations. By William Jones, M. A. F. R. S. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Rivingtons; 1794. Most of our readers may remember that, when Gobet, the last bishop of Paris, (who probably by this time has loft his head) relinquifhed at the bar of the convention his facerdotal function, a ridiculous fcene of mummery took place. In it a woman, felected for her beauty to perfonify Reason, was borne in folemn proceffion, and placed on the high altar in the church of Notre Dame, where, in the character conferred upon her, fhe received the adoration of all her attendants.-Whether, however, this were a greater profanation than the former practice, of worshipping a wafer, as God, in a box, we will leave for others to decide. The latter, nevertheless, to Mr. Jones, is so far from profane, that to withdraw from it the fupport by which it was upheld, is reprefented as the fubverfion of the Chriftian religion; inafmuch as the act of adoration first mentioned, and which, in that inftance alone, fuperfeded the other, was a full verification of the apostle's prediction, and confequently evinced that the Woman of Reafon was the Man of Sin. Alas, ye reformers of the doctrine of Trent, ye ftrenuous rejectors of the Popish religion, into what damnable errors did ye fall! what blind guides have ye been! But, overawed, we forbear. Mr. Jones announces the discovery in his Sermon to have proceeded from God (see the beginning and other paffages): who then will dare to diffent?-Before, however, that this difcovery-like ftars from the explosion of a sky-rocket-burst forth upon us, we should have been lefs furprized at being told that this Woman of Reason was the Whore of Babylon. The Duty of Honouring the King, and the Obligations we have thereto delivered in a Sermon on the 6th of February, 1685-6; being the Day on which his Majefly began his Happy Reign. By Chriftopher Wyvil, M. A. 8vo. IS. Rivingtons. 1793. After avowing that our fentiments are decidedly in favour of honouring the king, we cannot but exprefs our furprise at the republication of a fermon, with fuch a title as the prefent, preached on the day on which his majesty began bis happy reign'-HAPPY REIGN! the reign of James II!-Did the editor of this fermon mean to infult the House of Hanover, or did he only mean to reproach the prefent Mr. Wyvil, by contrafting his fentiments with thofe of a perfon of the fame name in the laft century? Probably the latter C. R. N. AR. (XI.) May, 1794. only I only was in his thoughts, but unfortunately the former is the more obvious motive. To republish a panegyric on king James, and call his reign a happy one, is the ne plus ultra of political folly and impo tency. Catholic Baptifm examined: or, Thoughts on the Ground, and Ex tent, of Baptifmal Adminiftration; wherein Mr. Booth's Publications on Baptifm are noticed, fo far as deemed material to the Object of Inquiry in this Work. By William Miller. Svo 4s. Trap, 1793. The defign of this treatife is profeffedly to afcertain who are the proper fubjects of baptifm under the gofpel difpenfation. In the opinion of Anti-Pedobaptifts, the ordinance is reftricted to fuch perfons as are deemed genuine believers on a credible profeffion of faith; but the prefent author contends for the univerfality of its application; and vindicates, with much forcible obfervation and argument, the practice of the established churches refpecting the baptifmal rite. The Grace of Chrift in Redemption; enforced as a Model of fublime Charity. In a Sermon preached at St. Giles's Cripplegate; on Sunday, Dec. 8, 1793; and published by particular Defire, for the Benefit of the Spitalfield Weavers. By the Rev. C. E. De Coetlogon, A. M. Svo. Is. Jordan. 1794 Those who purchase this difcourfe, will find their chief pleasure in having contributed a fhilling towards the relief of a diftreffed body of men. It is upon that principle only, that we can venture to recommend it. Reafons for National Penitence, recommended for the Faft, appointed Feb. 28, 1794. Svo. IS. Robinfons. 1794. This pamphlet is not the production of a common pen. It dif plays a vigour and intellect which it is rare to find, and perhaps might be unreafonable to expect, among the race of hackney pam phleteers. Although we cannot fubfcribe to all the author's opinions, yet it is but fair to acknowledge, that he rests them upon the folid basis of argument, and is far lefs difpofed to take things for granted which are doubtful, than most writers on this fide of the question. He is a decided enemy to the war, upon account of its principle, which, according to him, iş an improper interference in the affairs of an independent nation, and upon account of our alliances which are forced and unnatural. After sketching out the characters of our allies, he offers the following reflections, which we felect as a fpecimen of the whole. Thefe, my brethren, are the characters of those, with whom we are now engaged, and to the completion of whofe purposes, be they innocent or guilty, we have confiderably conduced. On this occafion, it behoves us, therefore, to reflect, that we are partakers of their defigns, if raflily and precipitately, even with the pureft motives motives on our part, we have lent them our affiftance. The temple, which they are dedicating to defpotifm, may be reared on the foundations, which we devoted to liberty. The guilt, however, of thofe, who fuffer themselves to be made their blind and imprudent inftruments, is not light or trifling. I cannot pa s over this topic, without urging it as an object of very attentive confideration. It is, I acknowledge, very difficult to conjecture upon the events of political contests. But there is much more cause of alarm, in the ambition of these united powers, than in the spirit of profelytism imputed to the French. Singly, they were fufficiently powerful; but in their coalition, they prefent to our minds an image of gigantic and bloated ftrength, which feems to require a strong and effectual barrier. We have as much reason to be alarmed at their mode of fraternization, as that of the nation with whom we are at war: for they conquer, not to liberate, but to enflave. Their march is not ufhered in with fongs in praise of liberty, with the feftive dance, or the shouts of an applauding people. Destruction and slavery are in their train, and should they be victorious, Europe would begin a new era of darkness and barbarity. Thefe are events which ought to have entered into our calculations, if we acted wifely and providently, and even now we ought not to be entirely free from alarm,. though perhaps the danger is more remote, or more doubtful. Have we, then, acted with the prudence that became us, in uniting with characters, whose purity is fo queftionable, and whofe purposes are fo ambiguous? Have we duly reflected on the cruel and dangerous tendency of a violent interference with the affairs of an independent nation? For let us not amuse ourselves any longer with debates on the opening of a river, or the violation of pretended treaties. Those pretences are now no more, and the opportunity of profiting by them, is paft. To a people, earneftly derous of peace, and deeply impreffed with a fenfe of its benefits, if they had afforded grounds of negociation, they would not have afforded occafion for arms. If, from the very beginning, we were determined to prevent our neighbours from erecting the fyftem of their own government, if we were refolved to rebuild the Baftille, and to reanimate the lifelefs trunk of exhausted defpotifm, it is the most exquifite hypocrify, to refort to these ftale and forgotten pretences. Every twig and every reed, however, we are willing to feize. We are now fedulously pleading our indignation at their crimes, and difplaying our forrow for their exceffes. We have made ourselves the inftruments of divine. juftice, and we say that we are fighting, to punifh the French for their wickedness. But whence have we derived this new maxim of hoftility? Oh, moft enlightened difcovery! how have we improved the law of nations! Had this beautiful maxim been made known before, how often would the very pillars of the earth have been fhaken by the trampling of crufaders againft vice and wickednefs! Long ago fhould we have carried our arms into Spain, to punish her priesthood for the victims devoted to their inquifition. We fhould have carried our righteous indignation into the new world, to avenge on the barbarous Mexican the human facrifices offered up at the shrine of his cruel fuperftition. Our fleets would have covered the Euxine, to chaftize the worshippers of Mahomet, for the inftitutions which confign the charms of beauty to the cuftody of a tyrant, and condemn youth and innocence to the fofas, of the feraglio. And our fwords would have leapt from their fcabbards, when Poland was torn from the sweets of her newly-tafted liberty, by a wicked confederacy of thofe, with whom we are allied ourfelves. We ought, alfo, to examine into the juftice of our claims to fit as the judges of vice and depravity, over neighbouring nations, left we be guilty of arrogance and prefumption. If we undertake to deal out our punishments to cruelty and oppreffion, we ourselves ought at least to be free from all thofe imputations, which we have fo profufely fcattered on our enemies. And are there no complaints prefered to heaven against us? Has the African, who is made the object of commercial calculations and bargains, ever had any reason to invoke bloffings upon our heads, while he feels the maddening fenfe of violated right, and protracted cruelty? Have our eaftern armies never invaded the territories of an unoffending people, and broken down the barriers, which nature herself feems to have erected as limits to our ambition, and as leffons to our avarice? We cannot, indeed, hear the execrations, which we may have provoked; for oceans divide us from them. We cannot hear the cries of divided families; we cannot hear the complaints of nations, that have been fubjected to the dominion of our rapacity and oppreffion. The coaft of Guinea, or the natives of India, do not represent their wrongs by ambafadors. But we may read them in the very nature of man, and in thofe feelings, which teach him to revolt at tyranny and ufurpation, in every climate and quarter of the globe.' From this fpecimen, the reader will perceive that we have not ap preciated the literary merits of the author too highly. Whatever difference of opinion may prevail concerning the various topics he touches upon, his abilities muft fecure him a refpectful attention, and we should not be forry to fee them difplayed on a fubject of a lefs fugitive nature, than the conduct of the people on a faft day, and where he can propofe his opinions with lefs exemption from petty caution. We do not approve of the practice of finuggling a po litical under the cover of a religious pamphlet. A Sermon for the Faft, appointed on February 28, 1794. By the Rev. John Johnson, M. A. Svo. 15. Rivingtons. 1794. The author of this difcourfe, in dedicating it to the bishop of Norwich, pleads for indulgence towards its imperfections, in the following language: 'My lord,-A numerous family, in a finall house, does not leave much room for repofe, much lefs for ferious compofition.' We think this plea ought to operate on his lordship in a way which we need not point out. With regard to the performance, |