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and then, in various ways, ftates to us our national advantages, contrafted with their concomitant dangers. After fpeaking of the evils to be apprehended from a feeblenefs of religious feeling, as opposed to the activity of infidelity, he proceeds:

This is a ferious danger, but it is not our only danger. Our very profperity endangers our Religion; for it is much to be feared, that, charmed as we are with the fuccefs of our own exertions, we may infenfibly lofe fight of Him to whom that fuccefs is owing; and proud of what we have done for ourselves, we may be tempted in a moment of thoughtlefs vanity, to forget how feeble and impotent we are, without the aid of Him who alone is "mighty to fave."-We may fay, as the Laodiceans did in the early days of Chriftianity, "we are rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and forget that we are wretched, and miferable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”

"There is danger alfo to us in the acknowledged impiety of our enemies-in our just abhorrence of their crimes, we may learn to think too highly of ourselves-and, like the Pharifee of old, whilft we are cenfuring the vices of others, we may infenfibly forget our own.

Nay, there is danger even in the juftice of our caufe; for contending as we are, not for dominion, for power, or for wealth, but for felf-prefervation, for our Country, our Government, our Religion, we may be tempted to claim that protection as a right, which in all cafes must be the free, unconditional gift of God.

"If there be any truth in thefe obfervations, we are ftanding every day upon the brink of a precipice, and with all our boafted virtues, and all our real bleffings, when we leaft expect it, perhaps, the hour of retribution may overtake us."

The ftyle of Dr. Hall is terfe and pure; and in his mode of introducing cautions and exceptions, there is a peculiar clearness and force. The Sermon is worthy of his collegiate character.

ART. 31. The Dignity of Human Nature; an Effay. 8vo. 69 pp. 25. Clarke. 1805.

"The tenour of this Effay," fays the author of it," is to exalt human nature in her own efteem, and to endeavour to prove, that when the inherited the evils attending original guilt, fhe faded into an imperfect, not a degraded state."-The difpute is not of words, but of facts; and if the writer will compare the state of Adam before the fall with that of Cain, the first man born after the fall, he will farely find that the contraft may well justify the epithet to which he objects. He admits indeed, that "the fcale of being funk when the act of difobedience was committed in Paradife," and that afterwards man appeared on the ftage of life encompaffed with difficulties, and was ordained to contend with paffions, "difeafe, and misfortune, through the whole period of his brief drama;" and thereby grants a great part of what the Church

Church inculcates. Of the remainder he will perhaps think more favourably, if he will allow himfelf to obferve, with accurate at tention, the very early fymptoms of corruption that appear in infants.

This author, whofe initials, whofe ftyle, and former works referred to, fufficiently declare him*, speaks of himself in his figu rative terms, as a convert from Popery to the Church of England; and with the too forward zeal of a convert, intimates, that the Reformation did not go far enough. In our opinion, one of the most admirable features in the character of our English Reformers was their steady forbearance from unneceffary innovation.

The author, in order to prove his favourite doctrine, that man did not fink into a guilty, but only into an imperfect state, pro duces feveral paffages in the facred hiftory (which only show that the Creator, in his infinite goodness, ftill condescended to instruct and to protect his fallen creatures) and cites a number of stories from profane writers, tending to prove (what has never been denied) that fome virtues were honoured and cherished even by heathens. Thefe inftances, however, by no means fupport his doctrine in its full extent; and, confidering that mankind is much more prone to pride and felf-fufficiency, than to humility and selfabasement, and much more endangered by them, we cannot but think his object in this effay is pernicious rather than ufeful, and that it would become him better to fubmit to the Church of which we are glad to hail him a member, than to endeavour to correct it,

ART. 32. A Vindication of Defenfive War, and of the Military Profeffion, a Sermon preached before the North Worcester Volun teers, in the Parish Church of Tewkesbury, on Sunday, May 12th, 1805. By the Rev. Jeremiah Smith, M. A. Affiftant Curate of Mafely, and Second Mafter in the Free Grammar School, Birmingham. 8vo. 22 pp. IS. Knott and Lloyd, Birmingham. Cadell and Co. London. 1805.

Another collection of arguments againft the foolish and pernicious fophiftries of Mr. Warner; and, in fome refpects, well drawn up. The perverted paffages of Scripture are explained; and the advantages and difadvantages of the military character, in a religious view, are ftated. Thefe advantages, however, were much more ably, forcibly, and fully reprefented, in a dif course which we reviewed in laft July, (p. 78.) and from which we gave an important fpecimen t. The prefent author speaks, with proper feelings, of the British Volunteer.

Edw. Jerningham, Efq.

"The Influence of Chriftianity on the military and moral Character of a Soldier. By the Rev. J. Symonds, Rector of Whitburn, Durham."

Y 4

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"He cannot bear the thought, that in confequence of any felfishness of his, from any fupinenefs or indifference on his part, the rich inheritance of Britons, which his forefathers painfully acquired and carefully tranfmitted to himfelf, fhall not defcend unimpaired to his pofterity. Defpifing the vain applaufe which comes from the giddy vulgar, abhorring the falfe glory which is earned by lawlefs ambition; but not indifferent to the honourable mention which after-ages will not fail to make of his virtuous exertion and intrepidity, and by no means infenfible to the willing tribute of heartfelt thanks which his contemporaries, not only in his own country but in others, will chearfully pay; he is, however, moft anxious to obtain the teftimony of his own approving mind, and to fecure the favour of his God. Should it be the will of Providence for him to fall, fighting in fo great and noble a caufe as that in which he is now engaged, he fees nothing either to fear or bewail in death thus met in the discharge of his duty. In a word, the confcientious volunteer fears not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the foul: he rather fears him who can deftroy both body and foul in hell." P. 18.

"The volunteer, by ftepping forward at the call of his menaced country, ftands pledged that he will act in every re lation and in every tranfaction of his life as becomes a man and a Chriftian." P. 20.

The difcourfe has much good fenfe, but not all the vigour or eloquence, which the glorious topic of defending our country with Chriftian feelings, and on Chriftian principles, might have inspired.

ART. 33. A Faft-Sermon, preached at the Abbey-Church, Bath, Wednesday, February 20th, 1805, published at the Request of the Mayor and Corporation of Bath, and the Colonel and other Officers of the Loyal Bath Volunteers. By the Rev. Edmund Poulter, M. A. Prebendary of Winchefter. 8vo. 33 pp. 16. Cruttwell, Bath. White, &c. London, 1805.

There are Sermons which treat on politics as general principles, connected with the maxims of Christianity; these we allow and often admire; but the prefent appears to us to defcend by far too minutely into fpecific and particular politics.

The preacher of non-refiftance against Bonaparte is here at tacked in his head-quarters, Bath: and this part is the best worth quoting in the Sermon.

"As it contributes to no good purpose to dwell on the general miferies of war, and bleffings of peace, which are intuitive truths, it is fuperfluous, if not injurious, in those who do; and can only arife from the inadvertence of the un-meaning, or. the infidiousness of the ill-meaning, which tend, though from different defigns, to the fame bad effect, of raising the diffatisfaction and thence difaffection of others. But the common fense of the

people

people renders them impregnable against fuch impreffions; they know and feel that this war, however calamitous, is inevitable; and that peace, however defirable, is now unattainable; and no fpecious fophiftry of others can eradicate that found knowledge from their minds, that honeft feeling from their hearts." P. 29.

The author then proceeds, in the ftyle of a newfpaper paragraph, to talk of the late pretended general overture of the enemy." This we do not approve, though we do the main tendency of the difcourfe. We could alfo point out paffages reprehenfible in another view. But let them pafs.

POLITICS.

ART. 34. An Attempt to explain the late myfterious Conduct of the Right Honourable William Pitt: with Obfervations on fome late Political Events. 8vo. 57 PP. Clarke. 1805.

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The fubjects difcuffed in the tract before us being the fame as thofe of fome other political effufions, which we have already noticed, a full account of its contents will scarcely be deemed neceffary. It is manifeftly the production of a partizan, and not of a fair and temperate politician. The doctrine attempted to be maintained is, in fubftance, the fame as that of Lord Archibald Hamilton's work, namely, that the leaders of parties the most heterogeneous, are not only juftifiable in uniting to force themselves, into power, but that the fovereign may not object to even a fingte individual, as a Cabinet Minister, although the fame individual has, by their own advice, been removed from the Privy Council; and although the Tame conduct, which occafioned that removal, has fince been invariably purfued. Of fuch doctrines we have already given our opinion, and may also refer our readers to the admi rable tract called + Thoughts on Coalitions; in which they are completely analyfed and expofed. The prefent writer may fairly be requested to reconcile the inconfiftency of his own friends, already noticed, before he imputes that fault to Mr. Pitt. The great crime of that Minifter is the acceptance of office unaccompa nied by his great political rival, whom (inconfiftently in that in. ftance, we admit) he is faid to have propofed as one of his colleagues in the cabinet. We find, however, in the tract before us, two distinct admiffions which feem to go a great way to exonerate the Minister from every imputation that could, even on the author's own principles, be thrown upon him.

For, firft, (fays the author) "He ever guarded himself by fay. ing, that, if the best plan could not be carried into effect, he did not

* See British Critic, Vol. XXIV. page 567.
+ See British Critic, for June 1805, p. 694.

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pledge himself to refuse his affiftance to form an Administration apm a much narrower and less powerful bafis;" and secondly, he trufts in candour, that when the plan of a new Administration was propofed to him, every argument was with fairness and fincerity prefed that could promote its adoption." But, according to this author, he ought to have refused to enter upon office under these circumstances; that is to fay, a ftatesman, when called upon by his Sovereign in the most important crifis, is to refufe his fervices, and leave the country without an administration, becaufe a plan laid down by himself and certain other leaders of parties, though in general acceded to, cannot be effected in every part!

The reft of this pamphlet is employed in cenfuring the late Defence Bill; the time and manner of commencing war with Spain (for the juftice of that war is not denied) and the reconciliation between Mr. Pitt and Lord Sidmouth. Thefe topics have already been fo often adverted to on former occafions, that it is enough to fay, they are treated in the fame fpirit which pervades the reft of the work.

ART. 35. Substance of a Speech delivered in the House of Commons, on Friday, April 5, 1805. By John Hudlefton, Efq. on the Motion of Philip Francis, Efq. That this House adheres to the Principles established by its unanimous Refolution on the 28th of May 1784, and recognized by the Acts of the 24th and 33d Years of his prefent Majefty, that to pursue Schemes of Conqueft and Aggrandizement in India is repugnant to the Wish, the Honor, and the Policy of this Country. 8vo. 50 PP. Printed for the Author, by Mercier. 1805.

We doubt whether this fpeech can be confidered as published, nor have we applied ourselves deeply to the particular ftudy of Eaft Indian politics; but as a copy has reached us, we cannot forbear giving our teftimony in favour of the prudence, moderation, and equity which every where appear to animate the speaker. He argues against both the policy and the juftice of the present war with the Mahrattas, and, to our apprehenfion, with great force. Mr. H. paffed the beft years of an active life in India; and having well approved both his knowledge and his integrity in the fight of the Company, has been honourably raised to the office of a director. The opinions of fuch a man, zealous at the fame time for the honour and profperity of his country, ought undoubt. edly to have confiderable weight.

LAW

ART. 36. The Juftice of the Peace, and Parif Officer. By Richard Burn, LL. D. Late Chancellor of the Diocese of Carlisle. Continued to the prefent Time, by William Woodfall, Efq. of the

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