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history, we can designate the fact by no other name than downright folly.

Upon the whole, we are not inclined to retract our opinion that the great mistake committed by Sir Nathaniel, lies in the title of his work. Had he published it under the name of Anecdotes,. the public would have expected nothing more than mere amusement, and it would not have been disappointed. But as it is, they are led to expect authentic information, and are disappointed at every page. In fact, Sir W. Wraxall is not qualified as the author of Historical Memoirs of my own Time. It was to illustrate principally this position, that we gave a short chart of his life. He has not been behind the curtain, and seen the wires of the puppets worked. To write " Memoirs," so that they may form legitimate materials for history, it is necessary for men to be. able to say "Quorum pars magna fui."-The reader has nothing, then to do but to enquire into the author's credibility and that being once established, he reads in confidence, since of the goodness of his information he has no doubt. But in the case of the present book, we have not only to weigh the writer's veracity, but his information; and not only his, but the veracity and information of every person from whom he gathers materials. So that the reader is treading on treacherous ground, with continual anxiety and suspicion. But if notwithstanding Sir W. W. is determined to retain the title of his book, we will advise him how to make it more worthy. He may, probably, at the beginning of term, have a little more leisure time then he will know how to dispose of. Solitude is irksome. Let us, therefore, council him to employ it in revising his present work, before he publishes his third part.-Let him strike out all the indecent passages, curtail the first volume of its absurdities, and erase all those anecdotes which he has gleaned upon hearsay authority: in short, let him leave nothing but what, from the evidence of his own senses, he knows to be true. It may reduce, perhaps, the size of his work, but we do not think that it will lessen its value.

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ART. III. Sermons, for Parochial and Domestic Use; designed to illustrate and enforce in a connected View, the most important Articles of Christian Faith and Practice. Richard Mant, M. A. Vicar of Great Coggeshall, Essex; and Domestic Chaplain to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury; and late Fellow of Oriel College. Third Edition. 2 vols. 8vo. Rivingtons. 1815.

Sermons,

Sermons, for Parochial and Domestic Use; chiefly adapted to the Service of particular Sundays in the Year. By Richard Mant, M. A. Vicar of Great Coggeshall, Essex. Second Edition. 3 vols. 8vo. Rivingtons. 1815.

THE Members of the Church of England may truly be congratulated on having received from their lawful Pastors, at different periods since the Reformation, a faithful display of Gospel truth in the form of Sermons. They have thus, in a compendious way, been reminded of all that is necessary, not only for their belief, but also for their practice. So faithfully, indeed, and so repeatedly has the good service been performed, that, within the last century, many clergymen who, by talent and piety, have been competent to have instructed the Christian world, both by the composition and the publication of Sermons, have withholden their services, because they have thought that this department was already amply supplied. It would, however, have been advantageous to the best interests of the Gospel, in this country, if many of this description had not suffered their modesty to have so far prevailed with them, as to throw a damp upon their exertions in promulgating, proprio marte, the word of truth. We might be thought too severe were we to trace, in too many cases, this feeling to its junction with a far more degrading motive, and to point out the union which often exists between modesty and indolence. Nomine magnifico segne otium velaturi. But let this be as it may, too many of those who are fully capable even of higher exertions, have been deterred from thus executing the command of their Divine Master, "Go ye, and teach all nations," promising them in this their laborious undertaking, "And lo! I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."

This promise of our Blessed Master, that he would be with his lawful Ministers even unto the end of the world, was grounded on his own commission to them, that they would go and teach all nations, which plainly implies that this important work of teaching was, without interruption, to be continued, by his successors, to the end of the world. And truly, however excellent may be the discourses or teachings of any set of Ministers in any one period of the world, they do not supersede the necessity of teaching in any subsequent period. As the prevailing passions of men, or the fashions of the age vary, so also must the doctrines and the admonitions of the Ministers of the Gospel vary with them. They must be peculiarly adapted to the necessities of each succeeding age, and faithfully applied to existing necessity. But in addition to this, it is well known by every earnest Minister, that the great truths of Christi

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anity must be conveyed to his people often, earnestly, and by frequent repetitions, line upon line, and precept upon precept, that so they may be gradually engrafted upon their understand. ings, and be nurtured in their affections.

In these reflections may be found a sufficient answer to those who object that in Sermons is to be found nothing new. If the same truths frequently repeated, become the more likely to convey their requisite impression, that alone is ample ground for their repetition, in a world wherein temptations of all kinds abound to seduce the Christian from a practical, adherence to that which he knows to be true. But, beyond this, it is, indeed, the best recommendation that Sermons can have, that they contain not novelties. The proper subject of a Minister of the Gospel composing Sermons, is, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." On inspired authority, the people are exhorted to "Stand fast, and hold the traditions which they have been taught." "To hold fast that which is good.' "To hold fast the form of sound words." And we are repeatedly admonished "To hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering." The commendation of those who were saved through the preaching of St. Peter was, that "They continued steadfastly in the Apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." Novelties, then, should have no place in Sermons, which are intended to convey Christian truths, the same now as they ever were, and ever will be, and to impress Christian practice, the great principles of which must ever also remain the same. The only point therefore in which novelty can be beneficial, is in the minor departments of language and style; and in the more important task of adapting the doctrines and precepts of the Gospel to meet the ever varying errors and immoralities of the age.

With these impressions on our minds, we have perused the Sermons of Mr. Mant, and we have perused them with satisfaction, having found ourselves reminded of the great Christian truths in language plain and scriptural. In a preface, the author modestly limits his object to the purpose of instructing ordinary Christians in the way of salvation, by a collection of plain Discourses on some of the most important Articles of Christian Faith and Practice. This observation, he observes, will explain the general character and pretensions of these volumes, and prepare the reader for what he is to expect from them. "Originally composed for the instruction of my own parishioners, they are offered to the public, with the view, not in any degree of assisting the researches of the theological student, but of promoting the advancement of ordinary Christians in the "Wisdom," which is, "unto Salvation.” D

VOL. IV. JULY, 1815.

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The great end which Mr. Mant proposes to himself in these volumes, is the most important which a Christian Minister can adopt; so to propose the truths of the Christian faith as to render them productive of Christiau practice. This principle of his Sermons he thus states in his preface.

"As to the principles of these Sermons, I would observe, that it appears to be the gracious design of Almighty God, our heavenly Father, by the Gospel to bring men from a sinful and lost condition to happiness, by the way of holiness:-happiness, purchased by the precious blood of the incarnate Son of God for those, who through an active faith in his merits repent of their sins, and sincerely and diligently labour to obey him: -and holiness, conferred by the Holy Spirit of God on those, who will conscientiously practise the appointed means of grace. To be the instrument of promoting this holiness as the means, and this happiness as the end, by an assiduous preaching of "Jesus Christ, and him crucified," and by a careful exposition of the distinctive doctrines and precepts of his religion, should be the endeavour of every Minister of the Gospel. To promote these objects should be the aim of every sermon. I trust it will be found, that I have never lost sight of them in the following discourses: but that the truths of the Christian faith are so proposed, as to be made the foundation of Christian practice; and that the duties inculcated are of such a character, and are enforced by such motives, as become the followers of Christ." Vol. I. P. xi.

The reader is thus prepared to find inculcated in these volumes the necessity of adorning, or rather of proving, Christian faith by Christian practice; and he will not be disappointed. Neither will he find any ambiguity of expression as to the nature of faith and works. He will perceive it to be ably stated, that a true faith is the only proper foundation of good works; and that good works can alone be acceptable to God when they flow from, and are accompanied by, an unfeigned trust, that they will be accepted, through faith, in the merits of a Redeemer.

In corroboration of what we have observed respecting the necessity of repeating the same great truths, which are as invariable as the author of our religion, we beg to call the attention of our readers to the candid and very judicious conclusion of the Preface to these volumes.

"It is necessary for me to add, (and the acknowledgment may serve as an useful hint to some of my younger brethren in the Ministry, into whose hands this publication may chance to fall,) that in composing these sermons assistance has been occasionally derived from the treasures of sound Theology, contained in the works of some of our most valuable Divines. The judicious Pre

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late to whom I just referred, observes on this point: I would have young Clergymen, especially, make very great use of the works of able Divines: not inconsiderately and servilely transcribe them; but study, digest, contract, amplify, vary, adapt to their purpose, improve, if possible, what they find in them. For thus it will fairly become their own; mix naturally with what proceeds altogether from themselves; and preserve their youthful productions from the imputation of being empty and jejune*. For my own part, I have found the adapting of an ancient sermon to modern use to be at once an interesting and a profitable occupa tion: and I am persuaded, that those specimens of it, which form parts of the present collection, are the most valuable of its con

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"It may be satisfactory to the reader to be informed, that the substance of the 7th, 9th, 14th, and 15th sermons is for the most part the property of Bp. Andrews; that a considerable portion of the materials of the 1st, 24th, and 25th, was supplied by Bp. Beveridge; that the statement of the argument for universal Redemption in the 5th, is taken from Isaac Barrow, and for the Divinity of our Saviour in the 4th, from the late Rev. W. Jones's Catholic Doctrine of the Trinity; that the 11th is abridged and altered from Joseph Mede; and that the general plan of the 30th was suggested by the Homily on the fear of Death. Of any other important obligations I am not sensible: but it is by no means improbable, that I have been sometimes indebted to a favourite author for some course of thought or turn of expression, without being at present able to recollect, and even without having been at the time aware of, the source, from which it was derived. If I have thus enriched my own compositions, and made them more 'profitable for instruction in Christian righteousness,' I doubt not that the authors, could they be sensible of it, would rejoice in becoming, even in this way, the Ministers of God for good,' and would forgive me this wrong."" Vol. I. P. xiv.

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The Sermons contained in the first two volumes are on the following subjects.

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"1. Comparative Value of the World, and of the Soul. 2. The Gospel, the only Foundation of religious and moral Duty. Eternal Life, the Gift of God in his Son. 4. On the Divinity of the Word. 5. The Son of Man the Saviour of that which was lost. 6. The Love of God the Motive to Man's Salvation. 7. The Sufferings of our Saviour unexampled. 8. The Humility and Patience of our Saviour. 9. Christ crucified, a Motive to Holiness, and a Pattern for Imitation. 10. Insufficiency of Works of Righteousness to purchase Salvation. 11. Obedience to Christ necessary to the Salvation of Christians. 12. Effects of Disobedience

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Abp. Secker's Third Charge at Canterbury, p. 269.

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