rary merit which, alas! we have fometimes found united with the worst of fentiments. The language of civility and polished life our own feelings have led us to prefer to harsh and offenfive cenfure, which neither amends the perfon reproved, nor does any honour to the critic: yet fuch reproof, as is confiftent with dignified feeling of propriety, we have not hefitated to make as ftrong as circumftances appeared to demand. We have fhunned, with equal care, the language of adulation; and, by our refufal of indifcriminate praise, and our firm determination not to transfer our private esteem for a writer to all the works he may happen to produce, we have loft fome valuable friends. But as the partiality of authors for their own productions is no new complaint, for this event we were prepared, and steeled against it. If, by a conduct of this kind, we have gained, (as we truft it is no felf-flattery to hope) the public confidence, we may undoubtedly rely on its continuance. In our plan, we fhall invariably perfevere. The great effort is paft; and duties the most difficult become, by practice, comparatively eafy. For our critical powers, they are of courfe as various as the multiplied aids which we from time to time obtain; but our honefly is, we may venture to fay, what the French Republic is not, one and indivifible. This pervades the whole; and it must be fome fatisfaction to the reader to know, whether he adopt our opinions or not, that they are fairly and truly what we think, and not devised to serve a fecret purpose. From all influence of trade we are, and will be, as free as if no trade of felling books exifled: and of any other influence, except the defire of doing good, we are equally unconfcious. Such is our compact with the public; which, at the close of seven years' labour, and of the century, we think it proper to renew. The feafon of gloom is not yet paft! Britain, after exhaufting her ftrength to to fupport the liberties of Europe, against an overbearing and predatory force, feems deftined to encounter the affaults of Envy, blindly rufhing to its own deftruction. The ftorm lowers on every fide; and the power that wages war against all duties, human and divine, is daily gaining ftrength by victories. With this general afpect opens the nineteenth century; marked in its commencement, throughout the greater part of Europe, by the dejection of the good, and the triumph of the profligate. In this country the wisdom of the Government, and the patriotic union of good men, have hitherto repelled the demon of deftruction. They have made, even of this gloomy period, a time of exultation: an æra of united ftrength and vigour in the empire, of the highest naval glory, and commercial wealth. The refult is in His hands who governs all things;-to whom the good fubmit without a murmur, however painful His decrees. If He has refolved to give men up to the worst of all earthly punishments, their own infatuated minds, He may yet perhaps, as hitherto He has, make Britain a wonderful exception to the general lot. Whatever be the end, retired and patient scholars should, above all others, be prepared to know and teach the line of duty. Our office is clearly marked. It is, to wield the arms that we are competent to ufe, in defence of a pure church and wifely ordered ftate, as long as Heaven shall think the nation worthy of those eminent diftinctions. Beyond that, we refuse to speculate; nor will we meet the opening century with any worfe-omened fentence, refpecting our national polity, than ESTO PERPETUA. Let us, however, quit the fate of Politics for that of Literature; and first, as ufual, of DIVINITY. DIVINITY. If we take the most important work which our half year's labour has furveyed, the first place muft undoubtedly be given to the Annotations on the Four Gofpels, published by the Rev. Mr. Ellefly*. The judicious and highly ufeful nature of this learned compilation, leaves us nothing to wifh but a continuation of the work through the remainder of the facred volume a labour, which the fame fpirit will readily undertake, and the fame judgment perform with equal credit. The Bampton Lectures, preached by Mr. Richards, next demand our notice. They form a volume, in which the divine origin of Prophecy is, with great strength of reafoning, and fingular eloquence of language, illuftrated and maintained; and afford a proof, that the fpirit of a poet is well calculated to give life and vigour to the leffons of the theologian. The Paftoral Care, a pofthumous work of the able divine, Dr. Alexander Gerardt, has rendered that fervice to the Church of Scotland, which our own has long derived from the work of Bishop Burnet, published under a fimilar title. Dr. John Smith, another clergyman of that Church, has alfo published a work of the fame tendency, entitled Lectures on the Nature and End of the Sacred Offices. It is a work of piety and merit, but not calculated to fuperfede the prior publication. A volunteer in the fervice of Theology, of great worth and rational piety, has added to his work, the Morfels of Criticism, a fecond part, pursuing the fpeculations and enquiries of the former to a further extent. Mr. King's particular aim is to provide anfwers to the more fubtile opponents of Chriftianity, and to trace, with the No. III. p. 225. We obferve that, by an error of the press, we have called this annotator's vicarage, Burenfton, instead of Burnefton, + No. IV. p. 379: No. II. p. 172. No. V. p. 562. I No. VI. P. 226. P. 651. fame humility as before, the completion of the facred oracles. To fuch a writer, and fuch a defign, we should be very inconfiftent if we did not wish fuccefs. In a volume, entitled a Call for Union with the established Church, Dr. Hunting ford labours ftrenuously to remove the prejudices of Diffenters, and to explain how trivial in general those matters are, at which they allow themselves to take offence. Nothing indeed can more fully illuftrate the impoffibility of bringing men to be of one mind, than the failure, in that refpect, of the cautious, wife, and truly primitive compilers of our admirable Liturgy. Whatever be its effect, Dr. Huntingford's attempt is highly laudable. Of Sermons collected into volumes, we have noticed fome, whofe merit demands our further teftimony. Among thefe, Mr. Cowe's Twelve Sermons, on the Advantages of Chriftianity, may claim an early and an honourable place. The tracts fubjoined are alfo useful, and drawn up with a benevolent defign to affift the poor. The Sermons of Dr. Dalgliesh‡, on the Doctrines and Duties of Chriftianity, denote a ftudious mind in the writer, and require it in the reader; but they are worthy of the attention they afk, and cannot be read without advantage. The fpirited eloquence of Mr. Sydney Smith's Six Sermons§ gave confequence to a fmall volume, and excites a hope for more laborious and equally fuccefsful efforts of the fame pen. The felections from Boffuet, which Mr. Jerningham put together, will ferve as a fpecimen, to the English reader, of an eloquence, with which, in its native form, he might not ever, perhaps, have made acquaintance. Sermons and Charges, in a feparate form, have occupied their ufual fhare in our lucubrations, if fo we may be allowed to term them. In this clafs the Charges of two Bishops de+ No. III. p. 257. No. VI. p. 640. + No. II. p. 118. No. IV. p. 388. 1 fervedly fervedly take the lead; though we confefs ourselves fo old-fashioned as to think even the office of thofe writers a lawful claim to precedence. The Bishop of Chefter*, in a clear and manly ftyle, declares his caufes for fatisfaction, and for apprehenfion in his diocese, and adds fuch exhortations, as muft tend infallibly to promote the caufe of Chriftian piety. The admonitions of the Bishop of Lincolnt, are equally welltimed and falutary; and the clergy of that extenfive diocefe, feem well-difpofed to fecond the pious wishes of their able adviser. The Charge of Archdeacon Woodboufet, in the diocefe of Lichfield, is a manly and fenfible compofition, directed immediately to the specific objects of the meeting. Some Vifitation Sermons of merit have alfo come to our hands. Among thefe (for we fhall not attempt to notice all) that of the Rev. John Brand§ holds a confpicuous rank. The novel flatement, accompanied with its proof, that the prevalence of democratic principles was among the caufes that increased the miseries, and precipitated the final deftruction of Judea, ftamps a peculiar value on this Sermon. M. Hare's Sermon, before the Archdeacon of Gloucefter, gives a view of the clerical character, and its operation in a country refidence, which, though very found and judicious, is in fome refpects new. The alarming attempt of a lunatic on the life of our beloved Sovereign, gave Mr. Daubeny occafion to - write a Sermon, ftrongly expreffive of the loyal and religious fentiments, which diftinguish a good fubject and a good Chriftian. An able difcourfe is also fubjoined by him, to his remonftrance to Mrs. More**, on her interpretation of St. Paul. Towards the application of prophecy to events of recent date, fome laudable attempts have been made by Mr. Faber††, and Mr. Mofeleytt. The full folution of thefe diffi *No. II. p. 190. No. I. p. 59. ** No. VI. p. 687. + No. III. p. 294. I No. I. p. 87. No. II. p. 203. #No. IV. p. 443. culties |