fear a speedy approach of public ruin, becaufe" for the moft part, great changes, whether in Religion or Government, have been preceded by caufes that have rendered them at once defirable and neceffary." It is denied that there exifts any cause for change in our Established Church, whether we examine the doctrines taught in it, or the general character of its minifters with regard to their education; learning; morals; punctuality in discharge of facred duties, private and public. For the degree of eftimation in which the Clergy fhould be holden, and with which they are regarded by thofe who fairly appreciate merit, an appeal is made to the judg ment of a writer, who, although he is unconnected with the Church of England, nevertheless delivers this opinion; "I am conftrained to acknowledge that the great bulk of the national learning is to be found among the Clergy of the Eftablishment. In the practice of morality in general, what body of men in the world exceeds that of the regular Clergy of this kingdom? I am perfuaded, not any. Who are the promoters of thofe public charities, thofe learned and beneficent inftitutions, which are the glory, the happinefs, the bulwark of our country Confidered as a body, they are doubtless the ornaments of the religion they teach, and of the country that fupports them." This impartial teftimony borne by Mr. Nightingale, (fee his "Portraiture of Methodifm") is adduced as a moft complete refutation of the foul calumnies thrown on the Clergy, by the author who lately wrote on the State of the Church." Exemplary and vigilant though the Clergy are, yet the Preacher obferves, "Herefies ftill continue." He then confiders what advantages have been derived even from the oppofition, which has been raifed againft Chriftianity, and from the contrariety of opinions which have fubfifted among Chrif tians themselves. To all thefe differences he allows the utmoft share of utility, which can be conceded; compelled however by truth to ftate the cafe impartially on both fides, he proceeds to fay, "But if there be many ferious evils to outweigh the good that may have been done: if the doctrines of fcripture have been "wrefted" from their true fignification; have been mifinterpreted; have been mifapplied-if members have been by every artifice feduced from the Etablished Church; if its doctrines have been decried; if its minifters have been defamed; have we not then rather caufe to exclaim in the pathetic language of the Prophet, The ways of Zion do mourn!" " Thofe, Thofe, who are even indifferent to religion in a serious point of view and as connected with futurity, are earnestly called upon to reflect, "That whenever the Church fhall be undermined, the Conftitution will be deprived of one of the main pillars on which its fabric is erected; and fhould it fall, be must have forgotten the eventful period of the Great Rebellion,', must be ignorant of the úmilarity in which the human paffions, unreftrained by religious obligations, are acceftomed to operate; who fhall blindly expect, who fhall vainly conceive, that the CIVIL CONSTITUTION Will NOT be involved in the general RUIN. Will that USURPATION, which extinguishes the hierarchy, ftop fhort in its career, to fpare the PEERAGE? Will that VIOLENCE, which tramples on SACRED INSTITUTIONS, pay respect to HUMAN ORDINANCES? Will the IMPIETY and INIQUITY which defy the laws of Gon, be over. awed and controuled by the laws of man? But the anfwers to thefe enquiries will be found in the records of our own history, where they are engraven in characters never to be erased. They will inform us, that when fanaticifm had fucceeded in driving out true Religion, and was made the tool of faction; then were the Conftituted Authorities fet at nought, and the deftruction of the national Church was fpeedily followed by the deftruction of the Government. Nor did the nation fully recover from the convulfon, into which it had been thrown, till the Church and State, our civil and religious liberties, were again firmly and infeparably united at the Revolution." . Then follows an allufion to the bleffings, which we actu ally enjoy under our prefent Conftitution, and for which we are taught to thank the Providence of GOD; and we are reminded, that if we appreciate them duly, we cannot "Without horror contemplate the dreadful calamities, that must again enfue from burfting afunder the bands, by which alone they have hitherto been fecured. The confequences, that barve. already proceeded from the ruin of the national Proteftant Church, cannot fuffer us to be indifferent, as to thofe, which may again overwhelm us, if its overthrow should a fecond time be accom. plifhed. For, experience of the paft, will fully justify reafoning as to the future; and it is the part of true wisdom to take early warning, from what has before happened; that by comparing events with their caufes, we may learn how to refufe the evil and to choose the good.'" The preacher, having difcuffed fo many topics, prepares for a conclufion; the fubftance of which is, a brief exhortation that the Clergy fhould perfevere in fulfilling their duties, under firm confidence, that if they look up to THE ALMIGHTY for fupport, they will be affifted by divine grace, and defended by that protection, for which, in the words of Our our Church Collects, he offers up a fuitable and devout prayer. The analysis of the fermon, which has thus been given ; and the many paffages, which have been either interwoven with the analyfis, or have been prefented to view in diftin& paragraphs, will prepare the reader for the following judg ment. The matter is well felected; copious; interefting. In fome pages there is animation; in fome eloquence: but. upon the whole, the manner is calm; temperate; candid; yet ftrong and convincing. The ftyle is in the language of a mafculine mind, conveying its thoughts to men of cultivated and enlightened, underftandings. And fuch ftyle is adapted to fuch occafions. In p. 23, and 27, Dr. G. cenfures the mode of addreffing religious difcourfes to the imagination and passions; and intimates his opinion that they are more properly delivered when fpoken in the "words of truth and fobernels." His opinion is correct; particularly with reference to the people of this country. Every orator, whether at the bar, or in the pulpit, fhould confider the caft of mind and character of the perfons whom he addreffes. The English are thinking and Tober-minded people. They prefer found reafoning to decla. mation; and language plain though polifhed, to ftyle affected and falfely pathetic. On other accounts, Dr. Goddard's opinion is correct. He that merely works on the paffions, produces but a tranfient impulfe: he that convinces the underftanding, fecures a lafting effect. The ufuage of our LORD and of his Apoftles is on the fide of preaching with fobriety, and with appeal to reafon, Our LORD referred his hearers to the miracles he had wrought from them was to be collected his divine miffion. The Apoftles infifted continu ally on the refurrection of CHRIST; from the certainty of that fact, they reafoned themselves, they taught their hearers to reafon, on the truth of their religion. But, to concludo this little digreffion into which we have been led, the principal.c doctrines of revelation are in themfelves fo interefting, that they require nothing more than expofition, grave, earnest, imens preffive; that will excite attention during its progress, and raife reflection when it is ended. 21 The fermon is rendered the more acceptable, because it in particularly feasonable: and that it may be ftudied by those, who either through mental ignorance or political depravity utter fpeeches of a tendency most destructive to their own tis tles, rank, and fortunes, as well as ruinous to the nation, is s most devoutly to be wished, BRITISH BRITISH CATALOGUE. POETRY. ART. 13: The Triumphs of Religion; a facred Poem, in four : Parts. 12mo. 121 pp. 75. Rivingtons, 1811. "Go, lowly verfe, go forth, and boldly dare a name, Introductory Lines. We with that more could be faid for this production, and that even that little had been better faid; for we are not among the Critics who wish to fatirize, or rail" at a compofition fo pi. oufly intended. But let us tell the author, in kindness, that if the flowers of Parnaffus be wanting, and the gifts of genius de. nied, it is much better to write profe than poetry's for many more perfons will ftudy good examples in profe, than will labour ›› through indifferent poetry to view them to u 90113 Stuparg ate si o fer d. ART. 14. The Age; or the Confolations of Phiksophy, a Poem, Part the First, By the Author of the People. Svo 67 pp. Jones. 1811, It is not long fince we examined a much larger poem with the fame title. (vol. xxxvii, p. 627.) Of that we could not say any thing favourable, but this is infinitely worfe. As fat as we can understand it, which is by no means easy; (for what is fo-ob. fcure fcure as nonfenfe?) it is an attempt to verify the principles of Tooke and Co., which is done in ftanzas much inferior to the style of Sternhold and Hopkins. The most intelligible parts are those intended to abufe Mr. Pitt, which are very numerous; the author being evidently one of thofe dupes who have been made to believe that the War, and all the evils of Europe, were occafioned by him. But the writer alfo attempts more general fatire. The following is meant (it seems) to fatirize Egyptian furniture.--"Enquire the name of yonder forms, With many a fcore of loud G-d d—ms, The cover of the book informs us of other works, in Prose, written, or to be written, by this fublime Poet! Who fays that he composes in the few leisure hours of a week, which the trammels of a fupid commerce" leave him. Let us moft fincerely afsure him, that no commerce can be so ftupi1, as this unsuccessful commerce with the Muses; and certainly none more unprofitable. ART. 15. The Battles of the Danube and Barroja. Murray. 5. 1811. 8vo. This volume is dedicated to Mr. Croker, whofe juftly cele brated poem of the Battles of Talavera, confeffedly gave rife to the prefent publication, nor will it be thought much, if at all inferior to its prototype. Indeed were we not pressed by a vast accumulation of materials, we fhould have had no fcruple in placing this very noble tribute to those who fell in the fanguinary conflicts on the banks of the Danube in our very foremost ranks. We must be fatisfied, however, with affuring our poetical readers that it will well and amply repay their attention. The very opening of the Poem, will fufficiently teftify this and juftify our' commendation. "Spirit of the North whofe hoary head Whose formy voice fo loud and dread "Whofe moody eye furveys the past, "Spirit |