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strange confusion: of which no painter could trace the faintest resemblance.

"They, whom fatigue, or ignorance of the impending danger rendered less eager to cross the river, were endeavouring to kindle a fire, and repose their wearied limbs. We had too frequently occasion to observe in these encampments to what a degree of brutality, excess of misery would debase human nature. In one place we saw several of the soldiers fighting for a morsel of bread. If a stranger, pierced with the cold, endeavoured to approach a fire, those to whom it belonged inhumanly drove him away; or if tormented with raging thirst, any one asked for a single drop of water from another who carried a full supply, the refusal was accompanied by the vilest abuse. We often heard those who had once been friends, and whose education had been liberal, bitterly, disputing with each other for a little straw, or a piece of horseflesh, which they were attempting to divide. This campaign was therefore the more terrible, as it brutalized the character, and stained us with vices to which we had before been strangers. Even those who once were honest, humane, and generous, became selfish, avaricious, dishonest, and cruel." P. 373.

"Although there were two bridges, one for the carriages, and the other for the foot-soldiers, yet the crowd was so great, and the approaches so dangerous, that the way was completely obstructed near the Beresina, and it was absolutely impossible to move. About eight o'clock in the morning, the bridge for the carriages and the cavalry broke down; the baggage and the artillery then advanced towards the other bridge, and attempted to force a pássage. Now began a frightful contention between the foot-soldiers and the horsemen. Many perished by the hands of their comrades, a great number were suffocated at the head of the bridge; and the dead bodies of men and horses, so choked every avenue, that it was necessary to climb over mountains of carcasses to arrive at the river, Some, who were buried in these horrible heaps, still breathed, and struggling with the agonies of death, caught hold of those who mounted over them; but these inhumanly kicked them with violence, to disengage themselves, and remorselessly trod them under foot. During this contention, the multitude which followed, like a furious wave, swept away, while it encreased the number of victims." P. 377.

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"In the meantime the enemy, notwithstanding the valour of our soldiers, and the exertions of their commanders, briskly pressed the ninth corps which formed the rear-guard. We already heard the roar of the cannon, and the sound dismayed every heart. Insensibly it approached, and we soon saw the fire of the enemy's artillery on the summit of the neighbouring hills, and we no longer doubted that the engagement would soon extend to that spot which was covered with thousands of unarmed men, sick and wounded, and with all our women and children." P. 381.

"At

At length the Russians, continually reinforced by fresh troops, advanced in a mass, and drove before them the Polonese corps of General Girard, which till then had held them in check. At the sight of the enemy, those who had not already passed mingled with the Polanders, and rushed precipitately towards the bridge. The artillery, the baggage-waggons, the cavalry, and the foot-soldiers, all pressed on, contending which should pass the first. The strongest threw into the river those whe were weaker, and unfor tunately hindered their passage, or unfeelingly trampled under foot all the sick whom they found in their way. Many hundreds were crushed to death by the wheels of the cannon. Others, hoping to save themselves by swimming, were frozen in the middle of the river, or perished by placing themselves on pieces of ice, which sunk to the bottom. Thousands and thousands of victims, driven to despair, threw themselves headlong into the Beresina, and were lost in the waves. Another was seen hemmed in by the ice in the middle of the river. Being able neither to proceed nor to retreat, she held her infant above the water, into which she was gradually sinking, and uttered the most piercing cries for assistance,

"The division of Girard forcibly made its way through all the obstacles that retarded its march; and, climbing over the mountain of dead bodies which obstructed the way, gained the other side. Thither the Russians would soon have followed them, if they had not hastened to burn the bridge." P. 384,

More than

The loss of the French in this affair was terrible. twenty thousand sick and wounded fell into the power of the Russians. Two hundred pieces of cannon were abandoned. All the baggage of the two corps which had joined them, was equally the prey of the conquerors.

From the Beresina to Poland we find but a repetition of the same scenes. Pressed on all sides by the enemy, victims of hunger and cold, the French were obliged to leave behind the whole of their artillery and baggage, and at last divide amongst the soldiers the military chest, which contained about five mil lions of crowns. On the morning of the 13th of December "out of four hundred thousand warriors, who had crossed the Niemen at the opening of the campaign, scarcely twenty thousand men repassed it." They were the victims not of the arms of the enemy," but of the fatal imprudence of their chief, who who, not satisfied with having subjugated the best half of Europe, wished to contend with the elements for the possession of a country which consisted only of deserts." Arrived at the opposite batik, like ghosts returned from the infernal regions, they looked fearfully behind, and with horror beheld the savage countries where, always victorious, they bad suffered so much. Of the fourth corps, which was composed of forty-eight thou

sand

sand men, the Viceroy could only collect eight hundred wounded.

Such is the result of this most memorable campaign, and indeed he must possess a heart of iron, who does not sympa thise with the sufferings of so many hundred thousand of his fellow creatures, however he may curse the infatuation of Napoleon, and detest the unfeeling ambition that led him into Russia. Of his conduct as a general we shall say nothing, lest our detestation should prejudice our better judgment, and withhold the credit due to the boldness and skill with which the first: part of this almost romantic enterprise was conducted: Of his conduct as a man we can only say, that if no other record of his calm and obstinate cruelty even towards his own old and faithful troops had existed, this. very expedition would consign his name to every future age, as a monster of the most selfish and cold-hearted ambition, which ever debased the heart of man.

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ART. VI. A Sermon preached in the Parish Church of Lancaster, at the primary Visitation of the Bishop of Chester. By T. D. Whitaker, LL.D. &c. 4to. pp. 24. Murray. 1815. MUCH notice has been already attracted by this Sermon among those whose religious sentiments are of a different cast from those of the learned preacher. The ability with which the peculiar and leading features of the Calvinistic doctrine are attacked has demanded their attention, while the calm and Christian spirit in which the controversy is conducted, has extorted their respect. Dr. Whitaker very justly condemns the violence and absurdity with which Calvinism is too often assailed, and recommends a more reserved and cautious spirit in attacking a system, with which Arminianism holds so much in common. Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another." In this we perfectly coincide with the learned preacher; and, although we are no Calvinists, we can treat both the doctrine, and its professors per se, with the most unfeigned respect as brothers in Christ. But it is not to Calvinism in its speculative doctrines that we have so strong an objection, as to Calvinism in its prac tical dispositions; in the habits, the views, and the designs of its partizans. When those who openly profess, or are secretly inclined to its doctrines, arrogate to themselves and to their party, the exclusive privilege and power of preaching the Gospel, and of conducting the church into the paths of salvation, then it be comes the duty of those, upon whom so unprovoked an assault is made, to sift the arguments, to examine the pretences, and to withstand

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withstand the claims of their adversaries in a manner which may at first appear to transgress the laws of abstract controversy: de vita et sanguine certant, they contend for their character, nay, even for their existence as a Christian ministry. But, even in this extremity, the animation of honest zeal, in defence of all that is dear to them, will never break forth with more advantage and effect, than when it is guided by moderation, and tempered with Christian charity and forgiveness.

With learning and ability fully competent to grasp so important a subject, Dr. Whitaker enters into a clear and concise view of the principal points in dispute between the Calvinist and Arminian. We shall not follow him through the whole of his argument, but take such parts only as appear to be peculiarly strong. and convincing.

"The eighth and ninth chapter of the epistle to the Roman's have been accounted the fortress of this system, yet, whoever shall diligently and impartially weigh the whole argument, which is intended to vindicate the divine procedure in rejecting his ancient people the Jews, and calling the Gentiles to occupy the place which the former had forfeited, cannot fail to perceive that the argument has no reference whatever to the personal and final acceptance or reprobation of individuals. This is rendered even more incontrovertible from the apostle's illustrations than from his argument: for what was it that Ishmael and Esau forfeited but the privileges of a temporal birthright, together with the advantages of a visible church? But it will be asked, whether even this procedure does not lay open the conduct of the Almighty to the same charge of partiality with the former, and, if this be admitted, whether the Arminian will not by parity of reason be compelled to grant the other also? This is a fair question, and shall be fairly

met.

"That the conduct of the Almighty, in the unequal distribu tions of his ordinary providence, is in the proper sense of the word arbitrary, that is, dependent upon his sovereign will alone, and governed by no rules or reasons with which we are acquainted, is not to be denied. For who shall pretend even to conjecture the reasons for which one individual is born into the world, with a constitution impregnated by hereditary disease, with the certainty of being exposed to the evils of poverty, want of instruction, bad examples and all the train of calamities incident to a character formed in consequence of such predisposing circumstances. Or, why, on the other hand, health, spirits, fine understandings, early attention, and the gifts of fortune are showered down on another, when the first has committed no evil, and the second done no good. "But we will extend the concession one step farther.-The same obscurity hangs over the divine conduct with respect to his visible church on earth: it is to this day as much, for example, an act purely arbitrary, that he favours this happy country with the

light of the gospel, as, that he permits much larger and fairer portions of the earth to lie in darkness and the shadow of death.And it is to dispensations such as these, which refer either to God's ordinary providence, or to the irregularity which prevails in the distribution of spiritual privileges in the present world, that all the high expressions of St. Paul apply, which have been supposed to refer the final allotment of mankind by a mere act of sovereign will. But where then it will be repeated, lies the difference, and why may not analogy fairly be drawn from the one case to the other? Most evidently for this reason: that the symptoms of irre gularity, and arbitrary appointment visible in the divine adminis-" tration at present, are parts of a temporary scheme only, and will be completely rectified at the last day, by that final act of distributive justice; when to whom much hath been committed, of him shall the more be asked.' On the contrary, a previous and arbitrary allotment of the final destinies of moral agents, is by the very terms incapable of being rectified, and in spite of all that sophistry and sublety can urge, gives up the author of it (I use the expression with humility and reverence, though for the purpose of removing the charge), to imputations inconsistent with all our ideas of a just and merciful Being." P. 5.

Dr. Whitaker remarks with much acuteness upon the perplexity which often arises from the confused ideas attached to the very terms of the dispute de libero, and de serve arbitrio. One argument, however, from practical views of our common nature is worth a thousand from the subtilties and sophistry of the schools.

"But here again we must have recourse to first principles, in opposition to sophistry.-Does not common understanding, do not the spontaneous feelings of our own hearts assure us, that as a faculty of chusing and refusing does exist in man, so on the exercise of that quality depends all responsibility, all the distinctions between right and wrong, all the morality of actions? For, not to urge a doctrine held by the best metaphysicians that nothing ana logous to corporeal impulse can be conceived as applicable to immaterial objects, I would ask, whether if it were possible to superadd sensation and consciousness to a watch, it would not be as properly an object of reward for the regularity of its movements, and of punishment for its aberrations, as man under such a system? Precisely oppositely to this process is the genuine operation of grace. Whatever disabilities. have been incurred by the will in consequence of original or actual transgression, it is the first office of grace to remove-to restore that disordered faculty to its intermitted functions, that is, to restore it to its existence in the heart; and in consequence of that freedom which is necessarily incident to the exercise of the will, to accompany it through the whole of its progress, and to prevent it, by its powerful, yet resistible operations, from falling, so far as is consistent with moral agency." P. 9.

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