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summoned to leave it, and about to be discharged from the post of duty here, he betrays no unmanly despondency, no vain terrors, no superstitious fears, no distrust of the wisdom and benignity of Provi dence. Prepared to obey the call of his maker, he awaits the hour of his dismission with solemnity and composure of spirit; and at length, with holy fortitude, humble resignation, and triumphant hope, receives the high and heavenly mandate to depart.'

When Mr. Jervis observes, that the points essential to salvation are but few, and that the main and fundamental parts of faith and practice may be easily comprehended,' his orthodoxy may be called in question: but all persons must allow that profiients in his school would be practical christians of the very best sort.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For FEBRUARY, 1812.

Art. 11.

RELIGIOUS.

The Christian Code; or a regular Digest of Christ's Dispensation. By an old Graduate of Cambridge. 4to. pp. 352. 11. is. Boards. Lackington and Co.

We are told in the preface that the person who has arranged this Digest from the words of the N. T., was a scholar of St. John's College in Cambridge, and commenced Batchelor of Arts there, in the year 1758, with a design in due time to enter into Holy Orders; but that afterwards, on a deliberate examination of the Articles of the English Church, finding some parts of them, in his judgment, somewhat exceptionable, he declined the sacred function, and sat down in Pembrokeshire, contented with a small patrimony, till Providence condescended to augment it.'

From this peroration, we are forced to regard the author as a conscientious man, and the view of the Christian dispensation which he has here elaborately displayed is no doubt conformable to his own sentiments; but many who look at it will think that his digest has not been well digested; and if he be not orthodox enough for some, he will be abundantly too orthodox for others. Words not in the original Christian code are to be found in this professed transcript of it; thus in the preface, p. 3. the author tells us that in the beginning of God's ways, before all other creatures, he generated Christ's Human Spirit to be united with his Eternal Divine Logos, and form a Society within himself. A writer who so manifestly departs from the language of Scripture, at the very commencement of his undertaking, is by no means qualified for the task of accurately exhibiting the Christian Code.' Where, from Genesis to Revelation, does he read of the Divine Being forming a society within himself? Alas! under the pretext of publishing divine truth, men protrude their ewa crude notions of the incomprehensible Godhead!

Art.

Art. 12. Select Homilies of the Church of England, appointed to be read in Churches in the Time of Queen Elizabeth, and no less suitable for Villages and Families. 12mo. 3s. 6d. Boards.

Williams. 1811.

Though we entirely agree with the present Bishop of Lincoln, that the Homilies, (a word derived from the Greek pain, cœtus, a multitude, and signifying discourses caclulated for the common people,)" when compared with the age in which they were written, may be considered as very extraordinary compositions ;" and though we may add that they were admirably calculated to meet the exigencies of the Church at that period: yet so many preferable discourses on the doctrines and duties of the Christian religion have been produced since the reign of Queen Elizabeth, that it is not necessary to put those homilies into the hands of private Christians of the present day. As evidence of the doctrines held by the authors, they may properly be matters of reference: but it must not be contended that the sentiments of Cranmer, Latimer, Parker, and Juel, are now of any authority in determining matters of faith.

The history of these homily-sermons is curious; and, as exhibiting the then state of the Church with respect to preachers, it merits

notice :

The Homilies consisted originally of two parts; the one set forth in the reign of King Edward VI.; the other in that of Queen Elizabeth. The design of them was, that they might be read in the Churches which were not supplied with sound Protestant preachers, and they are described, in Article 35 of the Church of England as containing "godly and wholesome doctrine, necessary for these times," to which many of them have particular allusion, as those on the peril of idolatry-repairing churches-prayer in a known tongue,

&c.

With respect to their authors, the First Book is said to have been drawn up by Archbishop Cranmer, assisted by Latimer, who, on being liberated from the Tower, on the accession of King Edward, accepted an invitation from the former to assist him in composing these Homilies. The Second Book, published early in the reign of Elizabeth, by Archbishop Parker, and the Bishops his colleagues, was principally drawn up, as is supposed, by the excellent Bishop Juel. So soon as they were ready, a royal visitation was undertaken by a committee of laymen and divines, divided into circuits, five in each, and one copy given to every parish priest throughout the kingdom.'

It is the opinion of the editor, that these antiquated discourses are not at all unsuitable to these times, when the doctrines which they inculcate are branded with novelty and fanaticism.' We have already expressed a different sentiment, not on the score of doctrine, but on the ground of our possessing many superior compositions of the same class. The editor, indeed, in order to give them the appearance of modern sermons, has affixed a text to each of them, and has changed some obsolete words and phrases. Now if it be obvious that still farther liberties ought to have been taken, (of which the editor is aware, in order to accommodate them to modern taste; and if it be

more

more easy to write two entire new sermons than completely to modernize one of these old homilies; we must regard the labour of the editor in thus providing for churches, villages, and families in the year 1812, as very much thrown away. Even villagers would now smile at being exhorted to chew the cud' of God's word, (p. 21.) at being represented as crab-trees that can bring forth no apples,' (p.27.) and at being told (p. 225.) that, the Holy Ghost labours to beat repentance into men's heads,' &c.

Art. 13. Twenty-four Select Discourses, from the Works of eminent Divines of the Church of England, and of others never before published. By a Curate in the Archdeaconry of Coventry, Master of Arts of the University of Cambridge. 8vo. 10s. 6d. Boards. Longman and Co.

It is not very common to see a volume published by subscription, when the name of the author or editor is suppressed; and the reason of this singularity, in the present instance, we cannot conjecture. The practical discourses here selected are taken from the works of Bishops Bull, Porteus, and Horne, and from those of Hubbard, Weston, Farquhar, Hervey, James, Jortin, &c.; and the editor claims no other merit in thus re-offering them to the public, than that which appertains to their selection, and to the earnest wish of promoting the cause of piety and virtue by their extended circula

tion.

Art. 14. Sketches of Sentiment on several important Theological Subjects; to which is added, an Address to Christians of various Denominations. By James Clarke. 12mo. Pp. 104. Williams.

1811.

In a strain of very superfluous humility, the author has taken the 'trouble of assuring his readers that he does not arrogate to himself infallibility; yet, without this very necessary qualification, he boldly undertakes to reconcile Trinitarians and Unitarians! His labour, we suspect, will prove to be quite abortive, if he can hit on no other method than that of vamping up the old scheme of Sabellius. Who will take Mr. Clarke's ipse dixit, when he lays it down, with all the dogmatism of His Holiness, that we are to believe in, and pray to God, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, separate descriptions and manifestations of the one only living and true God?'

Mr. C.'s Address to Christians' was no doubt very well meant: but, when he observes that he can never suffer another to think for him,' can he suppose that others will suffer him' to think for them? He may represent Election and Baptism as non essentials of belief :' but he must be the vainest of men to imagine, for a moment, that his representation will silence controversy. We must do him the justice to suppose that he wishes the peace of the Church; though he must be very ignorant of the nature of man and of the state of the world if he dreams of reconciling Churchmen and Dissenters, Quakers and Methodists, by the means of a few desultory pages on Ecclesiastical Establishments and Church-Government.

Art.

Art. 15. St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans paraphrased; with Introductory Remarks. 12mo. 28. Richardson. 1811.

The general drift of the Apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans, is neatly and satisfactorily explained in this paraphrase: but all the difficulties which that Epistle presents are not obviated: with these, however, we shall not now meddle. It is very evident, as this writer observes, that the great cause of schism, in the apostolic times, was an unreasonable veneration for the law of Moses;-that the Jews were particularly inveterate against those converts from Heathenism who refused submission to the Mosaic rites; and that against those who had deserted them their rage was phrensy itself.' The author farther intimates that it was the belief of the Roman Christians, who were of Jewish origin, that the truths of Christianity were to be superin duced on Judaism; and that, as it required some address to attack this rooted conviction, the Apostle was obliged to conceal his design: whence arise the obscurities of this epistle. Though St. Paul does not expressly say that Judaism is abrogated by Christianity, his argument throughout tends to this point; for if "admission into the kingdom of heaven is not to be obtained by meat and drink, by attention to clean and unclean animals, but by a good life," it clearly follows that an attention to the Mosaic ritual was of no moment.

Every gloss in this paraphrase will not be universally admitted, as that for instance in chap. x. 14.: but on the whole the leading object of the Apostle is clearly displayed, and the reasoning is less embar rassed by the parenthetic digressions being thrown into notes at the end. The Paraphrase is much more concise than that of Dr. Taylor, and in this view preferable.

POLITICS.

Art. 16. A Letter addressed to the Earl of Liverpool, His Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonial Department. To which are added, as an Appendix, several interesting public Documents re specting the Island of Trinidad. By J. Whitehall, Esq., Advocate. 8vo. PP. 26. Trinidad.

Though Trinidad has been a British colony for more than ten years, our government has not yet succeeded in adjusting either its legal or its political constitution; and the mixed character of the population, of whom a majority are Spanish and French, has prevented ministers from permitting them to manage their concerns, as in our own islands, by a representative assembly. Notice to this effect was given, in very explicit terms, above a year ago, in a letter from Lord Liverpool to the Governor, General Hislop, expressing that "it was a point determined that no independent internal legislature should be established in Trinidad; that His Majesty reserved to himself the power of legislation, but would delegate it, in some degree, to the Governor, as his representative; that an Island-Council might be formed, but that the members must be named by the Go vernor, and consider themselves as constituting a Council of advice, not of controul." In regard to the other great point of discussion, the expediency of introducing British law into the Colony, his Lord ship declares himself as yet unable to give a decided opinion. “It REV. FEB. 1812. is,"

P

is," he adds, "under the serious consideration of government, but the subject is necessarily extensive and complicated.'

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Mr. Whitehall's Letter is an appeal to the Noble Secretary against the conduct of government in both respects; in delaying the introduction of British laws, and in refusing the appointment of a representative assembly. Why,' he asks, should Trinidad be less favoured in her legislation than the small island of Tortola ? A country conquered by British arms becomes a dominion of the King in right of his crown, and is therefore, says Lord Mansfield, necessarily subject to the Legislature, the Parliament of Great Britain.'"The King of Great Britain," says Mr. Eswick, "may hold a conquered state for the time being, under military law, but in the instant that such conquered state is, by treaty of peace, or otherwise, ceded to the crown of Great Britain, in that instant it imbibes the spirit of the Constitution; it it naturalized; it is assimilated to the Government, and is subject to all those powers with which the governing power of King, Lords, and Commons is invested by the Constitution." "If the King," adds a third luminary of the law, "receives the inhabitants under his protection, he cannot reserve to himself legislative power over them." By quoting this assemblage of legal authorities, Mr. Whitehall endeavours to impeach the validity of the negative determination taken by our Cabinet, and to demand, on the part of the Colony, a right to be heard in Parliament. He ascribes the conduct of ministers to the influence of secret reporters, and says that much mischief may be done by those who sally forth in cloaks of darkness." The inhabitants of the island also, at least that part of them who de sire the introduction of the British Constitution, are disposed to complain of the very unfavourable impression made on the minds of ministers as to the character of the inhabitants in general, through representations proceeding from the Colony; impressions which seem to have led to an opinion that nothing but a despotic government would be suitable for them.'

Amid all these complaints, no mention is made of Judge Smith, whose case engaged the attention of the House of Commons in a debate of considerable interest during the last session. It is very clear, however, from the tone of this letter and its encomiums on the Governor, with whom the Judge has quarrelled, that the party demanding British laws are adverse to Mr. Smith. We cannot congratulate them on the talents of Mr. Whitehall as their advocate, since we have tarely seen a production of the kind more abundant in common-place and more deficient in sound argument. In calling so loudly for British laws, we should have expected him to prove the inefficiency of the Spanish and the superiority of our own. Now, we have heard it whispered that Spanish law became, in Mr. Smith's hand, an engine of no slight efficacy for enforcing the payment of debts; rather too strong, we have been told, for the procrastinating disposition of gentlemen in that quarter. Be this as it may, it will be advisable for government, whenever it may introduce British colonial law into Trinidad, to abridge its immeasurable tediousness, and to augment the power of the creditor over the debtor in accelerating the process of repayment. Such an alteration would be for the benefit even of the

debtors,

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