such sermons he strongly testified in the following passage in his REFLEXIONS:

· POLITICS AND THE PULPIT are terms that have little agreement. No sound ought to be heard in the church but the healing voice of Christian charity. The cause of liberty and civil government gains as little as that of religion by this confusion of duties. Those who quit their proper character, to assume what does not belong to them, are, for the greater part, ignorant both of the character they leave, and of the character they assume. Wholly unacquainted with the world in which they are so fond of meddling, and inexperienced in all its affairs, on which they pronounce with so much confidence, they have nothing of politics but the passions they excite. Surely the church is a place where one day's TRUCE ought to be allowed to the dissensions and animosities of mankind.

Although the Appeal' very ably contrasted the doctrines of the old Whigs with those of Paine and other writers, supported

and disseminated by the new; and the work was distinguished for closeness of reasoning and regularity of method, as well as for energy and depth of observation; it was not equally read with his preceding performances on the subject.

At the time that Burke was adding a strong redoubt to the fortress which he had raised, the fabric underwent an attack so vigorous and so ably conducted as must have overthrown it, had not the foundation been laid very deep, and the superstructure consisted of the most massy and well disposed materials. In summer, 1791, Mackintosh's VINDICIE GALLICA was published. Other writers, in attacking Burke's REFLEXIONS, had mixed subjects foreign to that work; had charged the author with a dereliction of former opinions, and some of them had imputed either unworthy or frivolous motives. Mr. Mackintosh, rejecting every irrelative question, proceeds to the main object. Having studied Burke's writings and conduct, and investigated their principles,

ments:

he had discovered the charge of INCONSISTENCY to be unfounded; and had seen that if the matter in consideration had been his general conduct, instead of a particular work, dereliction of a former system, opinions, and action could not be a subject The VINDICIE GALof just accusation. LICE is evidently the result of very great and very variegated powers and attainTaste, learning, invention, judgment, eloquence, acute reasoning, profound philosophy, and habits of correct and elegant composition are most fully and happily displayed. His illustrations and allusions manifest great extent and multiplicity of knowledge; the luminous arrangement, a comprehensiveness of understanding that examines every relation of its subject; fertility of invention and correctness of judgment are shewn in framing his theory, and giving it consistency; strong and animated eloquence is exhibited in various parts of the work, especially in describing the miseries of the despotism, the progress and completion of its overthrow, and the joy of its subjects on emancipation; close and per

spicuous statement and vigorous argumentation form the prominent character of his discussion; profound philosophy, of his exhibitions of mind. The obvious purpose of the learned and able author is the melioration of the condition of man. Knowledge, science, and genius, prompted by philanthropy, do not always discover the most effectual means for the attainment of their ends. The perfection of reason consists in giving every object a consideration proportioned to its relative importance. This philosopher, turning his mind chiefly to possibility of happiness, rather overlooks capability of attainment. Convinced that men, habitually guided by reason, and determined by virtue, would be happier under small than considerable restraints, he proposes a controul too feeble for the actual state of mankind; for the actual state of any men now existing; much more of a people whose national character, FROM the old despotism, and other causes, required a greater degree of controul than some of their neighbours. Arguing from untried theory, instead of

experience, it is not surprising that the conclusions of this great man have been entirely contradicted by the event. The changes which he vindicates are too rapid FOR THE PROGRESSION of the human character, and evidently very unsuitable to the actual character of the French.†

Of the works which Mr. Burke wrote after his Appeal from the New to the Old

• The reader will find this subject ably explained from a view of the operations of mind, and beautifully illustrated from the analogy of nature, in Dr. William Thomson's Letter to Dr. Parr, annexed to Dr. Parr's Statement of his Dispute with Curtis."

+ The erroneous conclusions of this forcible and profound writer appear to have arisen from two sources: first, he argued from a supposition of an attainable perfection in the human character, instead of an accurate estimate of the degree of perfection which it had actually attained: secondly, he appears to have been misinformed concerning the principles, spirit, and character of the French revoJutionists. As the genius of this great man became matured by experience, he rejected hypothesis, and reasoned from history and human nature as it actually exists. He saw the revolutionary character in the true colours, and now concurs with loyal and patriotic Britons in reprobating the jacobinical system, which the French revolution has generated. His blossom was brilliant theory, his mature fruit is the most valuable wisdom.