pains, infirmities, and imperfections, bodily and mental; - are the rational and comfortable positions maintained by Dr. Priestley in this funeral difcourfe. To thefe, he fubjoins an intimation that the change of our condition by death may not be fo great as we are apt to imagine.' He thinks the future world will not be materially different from this. The ancients thought the fame, and therefore Virgil gives the following account of the departed: que gratia currum Armorumque fuit vivis, quæ cura nitentes Pafcere equos; eadem fequitur telure repoftos. Æn. Lib. 6.1.653. The New Teftament, however, does not reprefent it as a flate in which pursuits and pleasures fimilar to thofe in the prefent life, are to be carried on and enjoyed. It is expressly afferted that there will be no connubial delights; and if different in this material point, it may be effentially different in others. Be this, however, as it may; we were furprifed at finding this philofophical Chriftian indulging conjectures on the particular nature of the future ftate, after Revelation has declared that we know not what we shall be. In his account of Mr. Robinfon, Dr. P. notices the fuddennefs Art. 66. Chriftian Vigilance: preached at the Baptist Chapel, in Moo-y. Mr. Robinfon has not fallen unlamented, nor unhonoured. Behold a fourth funeral fermon to his memory t. It is plain and ferious; and though not equal, in point of compofition, to thofe published on this occafion by Dr. Rees and Priestley, the memoir KA • Mark xii. 25. Luke xx. 35. + See our account of Dr. Rees's two fermons on this fubject, Rev. for Auguft. fubjoined fubjoined is well drawn up; and as it contains fome particulars, not mentioned in the difcourfes already noticed, it will probably be acceptable to many readers. Mr. R. correfponded with Mr. T. and feveral extracts are given from his letters. J Mr. Robinson had been long and laboriously employed on a work, which is now publifhed, entitled An Hiftory of Baptifm and the Baptifts. After mentioning this hiftory in a letter to his friend and brother Baptift, dated May 29, 1787, as defigned to serve, not the views of his own fect, but the common cause of Chriftian truth and liberty, he thus proceeds, The common caufe, I fay, for the primitive gofpel was nothing but the doctrine and precepts of Jesus. The bond of union was virtue and not faith. Piety and virtue were effential The understanding was left open and unawed by any human standards, and improvement went on at a great rate. Every thing was tried in the fire of criticism. The Manichean gofpel was reasoned against the Greek gofpel. The nature of Jefus was inveftigated, and no harm was done; till the Alexandrian school perfonified the logos, and dreamt John the fisherman ufed the word in their fenfe: which fenfe they fet up as a ftandard, and fet it rolling down to pofterity in the tears and the blood of pious and virtuous believers in Chrift. Church Hiftory feems to me one long lie, and no branch of history needs fo much a reform.' Moo-y. Art. 67. The State of the Nation, with refpect to Religion and There may be much juftice in the unfavourable account which Mr. Harper gives of our national fpirit and manners: great public blefings are, we fear, not acknowleged, confidered, and improved, as they ought to be: yet we are willing to hope that they are not entirely forgotten; and we congratulate the man, whoever he be, that can contribute to awaken us to a more juft fenfe and practice of our duty. Mr. Harper has probably fuch a defire, yet he appears to us, in fome refpects, to be mistaken in making the attempt: he connects religious and moral conduct more neceffarily with a certain set of principles, and regard to the national church, than truth and fact, perhaps, will juftify. He reflects, with feverity, on a confiderable body of the Diffenters, as he terms them; of whom he fays, that regarding reafon as their oracle, and their judgment as an infallible teft, they expunge from their creed all the radical doctrines of Christianity --that they facrilegiously spoil the gospel of its moft effential ornaments, and precipitately deftroy what they pretend to reform, the reformation itself, &c.-Is not this a heavy charge? A man ought furely to be well acquainted with the fubject, and very certain of his ground, before he ventures to bring forward fo dreadful an exhibition! It appears fomewhat fingular that an author, pleading for reformation, fhould thus intrench on the law of charity, by indulging in any thing like illiberal reflections on a part of his Chriftian brethren. This has more the appearance of uninformed bigotry than than of wisdom or candour. He fpeaks, too, with fome afperity of the French nation, and views their prefent ftate as a calamity and a judgment; while others feem inclined to hope, that if our newly emancipated neighbours have moderation and fortitude enough to perfevere, it is a happy deliverance from flavery, and will prove the establishment of that liberty and enjoyment to which every human being has a claim, and which government, (that ought to fecure these reasonable bleffings,) is often perverted to weaken, and even to deftroy. Thefe are our objections to a difcourfe, that, in other refpects, is fitted to anfwer the purpose, which we prefume the author had in view, viz. the advancement of practical religion. Hi Art. 68. A farewel Sermon, preached in the Parish Church of St. Martin, Birmingham, December 13, 1789. By John Clutton, M. A. 8vo. PP. 25. Is. Baldwin. A plain and well intended difcourfe: but we think that the author's zeal for what he calls the honour of God and the cause of his religion, carries him too far, when he afferts, page 13, that the word of God charges them who have the overfight, to reprove and rebuke all fuch as, in belief or practice, refift the truth and turn away their ears from found doctrine. Can the affent of the mind be forced? or who has ability and power to declare which and which only is the truth, and found doctrine, and "you fhall believe it to be fo ?" Br.....w. Art. 69. A farewel Sermon, preached at Chriftian Malford, November 29, 1789. By the Rev. William Jay. 8vo. pp. 44. 6d. Matthews. The text, Acts, xviii. 20. 21. This plain fericus difcourfe breathes a truly Chriflian Spirit. Art. 70. A Token of Refpect to the Memory of the Rev. Thomas Of the fame character with the above; though fome will think it rather too much tinctured with methodism. Art. 71. The Neceffity and Duty of the early Inftruction of Children in the Chriftian Religion, evinced and enforced: preached in the Parish Church of Great Yarmouth, June 20th, 1790; for the Benefit of the Charity and Sunday Schools. By Samuel Cooper, D. D. 4to. pp. 23. I S. Becket, &c. The vicious propenfities difcoverable in children are very juftly confidered by Dr. Cocper, as evincing the importance of early inAtruction. He oppofes thofe enemies to human virtue, who would difcountenance what is called religious education, and leave the untutored mind to purfue unrestrained the bent of its own inclinations. He appeals to experience as a fufficient confutation of fo abfurd an idea. If it be asked how the infant mind is to be inclined to virtue, Dr. Cooper will anfwer, not by feverity and rigour, but by mild and perfevering inftruction; for he obferves the power of the one muft terminate when the feafon of parental authority exREV. SEPT. 1790. pires, pires, and even during its continuance, can then only operate,. whilft the children remain within the reach and under the obfervation of their parents;-but the other will influence the conduct of a child, whether he be placed within the view of his parent, or be removed from it; and even, if perchance through the prevalence of paffion, he should at any time deviate from rectitude, contrition will probably fucceed.' Moo-y. It was with good reafon, and propriety, that the gentlemen to whom this difcourfe was delivered, requested its publication. Art. 72. Preached at Maze Pond, Southwark, 27th September 1789, for the Benefit of the Society established in London, for the Support and Encouragement of Sunday Schools in the different Counties of England. By James Dore. 8vo. pp. 33. 6d. Buckland. If London is the feat and centre of commerce, it feems to be alfo that of public fpirit and beneficence: every thing of the kind there, obtains countenance and affiftance. Witness the occafion of the difcourfe before us. Mr. Dore pleads the cause of Chriftian liberty, and of the Poor; and affectionately recommends the inftitution in queftion to the liberality of all who are able to afford it fupport. His text is Ifaiah xxix. 12. The book is deli vered to him that is not learned, &c. Art. 73. The Importance of religious Inftruction illuftrated. Preached at St. Thomas's, Jan. 1, 1790: for the Benefit of the Charity School in Gravel-lane, Southwark. By Sayer Walker. 8vo. pp. 24. 6d. Buckland. 1790. By feveral pertinent and important arguments, the above useful charity is here recommended to attention. It may very truly be faid of those who exert themselves for diffufing knowlege of a beneficial kind, and especially that which is virtuous and religious, that they are eyes to the blind; and this is particularly applicable to the charitable information and guidance of poor children, &c. Art. 74. Preached before the Univerfity of Cambridge, June 28, 1789, with fome Strictures on the licentious Notions, avowed or infinuated in the three laft Volumes of Mr. Gibbon's Roman Hiftory. By W. Difney, D. D. late Fellow of Trinity College, and Hebrew Profeffor in the University; now Rector of Pluckley in Kent. 4to. pp. 22. is. Cadell. Dr. Difney's difcourfe prefents us with many pertinent reflections and ufeful fentiments, clothed in proper language, from 1 Cor. i. 25. Animadverfions on the celebrated work of Mr. Gibbon form a confiderable part of it; and it must be acknowleged that the Divine has, on the whole, the advantage of the Hiftorian. Eftablishments indeed, with which Chriftianity has little to do, will ever afford fome plausible matter of triumph to its adverfaries; and the ill conduct of profeffed Chriftians too often adminifters to their aid: but to reafon against it from these circumftances is furely very unfair, and wholly unworthy of a true philofopher. When Mr. Gibbon impeaches the Chriftian doctrine, as Hi. as implying a plurality of gods, and lavishes his praises on the Koran for afferting the Divine unity,-Dr. Difney can, with truth and juftice, reply, that the latter borrowed the fentiments from the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, and that the existence of One God is a fundamental article of Chriftianity:-but when he applies to the Catholic creed, which the Hiftorian might perhaps have principally in his eye, it may not be quite fo easy to return an anfwer; although even here, it is properly faid, it is furely very hard and unreasonable that others fhould interpret their articles for them, in a different fenfe from what they themselves mean, and then charge them with opinions, which they difclaim and abhor.'-When Mr. Gibbon fays + "that the triumph of the Koran is more pure and meritorious, as it was not affifted by any visible fplendor of worship :"-Dr. Difney very naturally remarks,whatever fplendor of worship has been at any time affected by Chriftians, it is certainly no part of the doctrine of Chrift; was not afed in the purer times of Chriftianity, and has nothing to do with the argument by which the truth of the Gofpel is proved from its quick propagation. But the corruptions of Popery, and fome kindred practices of the Greek church, (to which, no doubt, Mr. Gibbon will, without being fingular, think other establishments might be added,) have furnished our hiftorian with an occafion, which he eagerly feizes, of confidering Chriftians in general as idolaters. The charge arifing from the vices of the clergy, our author very frankly acknowleges to be too well founded, from the fourth century to the time of the Reformation: but when the hiftorian afferts concerning the modern clergy ‡, that "they fubfcribe the articles of faith with a figh or a fmile," Dr. Difney only adds: It will be then time to answer fuch abufe, when he can prove himself poffeffed of the divine prerogative of fearching the hearts of men.'-We agree with this writer, that mankind ought to be cauticus and candid in judging of each other's motives; yet fufficient is known on the fubject, to affure us that the requifitions alluded to ought to be entirely taken out of the way, or very confiderably altered. Dr. D. takes further notice of infinuations fcattered in the volumes of the Roman history, which attack natural religion as well as revealed. What has induced Mr. Gibbon thus to deform his otherwise valuable work, we cannot pronounce: we have hazarded a few obfervations concerning it on another occafion ||; and muft ftill remark, that he feldom lofes an opportunity of extolling the amiable system of morality inculcated in the gofpel: but we can only farther add, that it is worthy of any perfon, whether clergy or laity, to employ wife and proper meafures, and improve feasonable opportunities, in order to guard readers against the baneful and artful infinuations of those writers with whom Mr. Gibbon has chofen to clafs himself. * Page 7. ↑ Page 13. See Review for September 1788. vol. lxxix. p. 232, 3. + Page 8. 1 2 |