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of Godhead; but, although his anger was appeafed, the Deity could not renounce his juftice." (P. 11.) Are not wifdom and power equally attributes? Is the Deity given to change? Is he angry at one time and not at another?" The veil will be torn from every myftery when the balance of juftice fhall be feen uplifted in the heavens." (P. 12.) Is this true? Will there not always be an infinite diftance between the Creator and the most exalted and purified of his creatures? If so, then, there ever have been, and ever will be, innumerable myfteries to every mind. Can angels or men finite find out the Almighty to perfection?" Every tear fhall be dashed from the eye of afflicton." (P. 17.)" Of fuch children is the kingdom of heaven.” (P. 21.) "The tears of his affliction he regardeth as gems in the crown of his future glory." (P. 28.) "An addition to infinite mercy." (P. 6.) All these are forced unnatural expreffions, or totally untrue.

We totally difagree with this writer in his notion of "a temporal infenfibility of the foul." (P. 21.)

We fhall treat him with the utmost candour in fuffering him to fpeak for himself, and, perhaps, in the very beft paffage that the fermon affords :

"Hadft thou once a friend, whom thou yet remembereft with a figh? he perhaps now repays thy forrow with his care. Doft thou ftill feel the pang of a well-founded hope, difappointed by the lofs of a darling child? that child now perhaps hovers round thee, no lefs tenderly anxious for thy eternal welfare. Doth the remembrance of an affectionate and honoured parent ftill command a tear? or doth thy bleeding heart ftill fondly confult its own forrows, and prefent to thy memory the long-loved partner of thy life, who once lived but for thee? they may now be employed in the re-payment of thy love, by perpetual vigilance: they are, perhaps, at this moment, watching the filent emotions of thy mind. Difappoint them not: live for them; for them, and heaven." Pp. 29, 30.

We would just caution this writer, and we fuppofe he is a very young man, to be careful, left he mistake obfcurity of expreffion for fublimity of mind. Inverted periods and forced expreffions can only pleafe the moft ignorant readers.

ART. XIX. A Sermon, preached at the Parish Church of Heytefbury, in the County of Wilts, on the 29th of November, 1798; a Day appointed for a General Thanksgiving. Published, by Request, by David Williams, Curate of Heytefbury. 8vo. Price Is. Rivingtons. London. 1799.

THE obfervations of Mr. Williams, on the atrocities of the French, must be confidered as juft and appropriate, by all thofe who have any regard for moral virtue or religion. Time has difcovered what has long fince been fufpected, that they who affect, from a principle of Chriftian Charity, to extenuate the dreadful outrages which are every day committed under the French democracy, are so well-wishers, either to the political or religious cftablishment of

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their country. Such perfons are no longer doubtful characters; they are ripe for revolt. The fermon before us is not remarkable for the graces of fine writing, but it breathes a religiousness which feems cordial, and an honeft indignation against the enemies of this country, and of the human race.

ART. XX. Morning and Evening Prayers, for the Use of Individuals; to which are added, Prayers on particular Subjects. Printed at the Expence of the Society of Unitarian Chriftians, established in the Weft of England, for promoting Chriftian Knowledge, and the Practice of Virtue, by the Distribution of Books. 12mo. Price 2s. Johnfon, London. 1799,

THESE prayers can scarcely be deemed the fubject of criticism. They seem to breathe the fpirit of piety. But we notice them only to have an opportunity of pointing out to the orthodox clergy the induftry of the Unitarians in diffeminating their tenets.

That the practice of virtue is promoted, among the lower orders, by the diftribution even of the most approved books, is a point which we confider as problematical.

In the humbler walks of life, thofe who are acquainted with the plain and practical parts of their Bible, poffefs knowledge "fufficient unto falvation." To fuch perfons more extenfive acquirements have often proved pernicious.*

Be this, however, as it may, we moft heartily enter our proteft against Unitarian prayers or difcourfes, which are better adapted to the ufe of Deifts or Mahometans, than of found Christians. For, as a late devout and learned prelate hath obferved-"If our governors were inclined to frame a new liturgy and conftitution, according to the Unitarian fyftem, we should have a religion without a redeemer, without a facrificer, and without grace; without a facrifice, without a prieft, without an interceffor."

ART. XXI. Devotional Exercifes and Contemplations, extracted altogether from the Book of Pfalms, and fuited to all Claffes and Circumftances of Mankind; in four Parts. 1. Confeffion of Sins, and Supplication to a merciful God and Saviour, for Par don, and reftraining Grace. 2. Petitions to the all-wife and all-gracious Providence, for Support and Deliverance under Trouble. 3. Confolatory Reflections and Addresses of Faith, Hope, and Trust in God. 4. Lofty Sentiments, and grateful Expreffions, of Adoration, Thankfgiving, and Praife. By Alex. Cleeve, A. B. Vicar of Wooller, Northumberland, and Chaplain to the most Noble the Marquis of Winchester. 12mo. Pp. 115. Robinsons, London; Bell and Bradfute, Edinburgh. 1799.

* We are no friends to Sunday-fchools, which, we are convinced, bave been the nurseries of fanaticifi.

THE

THE object of this publication is fufficiently explained in the title-page; and it is one of thofe works which admit neither of analyfis nor extract. It only remains for us, therefore, to obferve, that the author has performed his talk with ability, and with great labour and industry; he has felected from the whole book of pfalms every paffage which applied to each particular head or subject of his work; an attempt which no one, we believe, had ever made before. Prayers and fupplications, extracted from fcripture, are certainly preferable to all others; the language of the facred writings is the confecrated language of devotion; and thofe who contribute to facilitate the use of it, by extracting correfponding paffages from various parts, and combining them for the purpose of prayer, are unquestionably entitled to public thanks and public encouragement.

MISCELLANIES.

ART. XXII. A Letter to a College Friend, relative to fome late Tranfactions of a Literary Society, at Exeter. 8vo. Cadell and Davies, London. 1798.

THIS

HIS pamphlet is one of thofe productions which the perfonal difputes of fcholars are too often occafioning, but which experience too fadly proves to be unavoidable in themselves. Scholars quarrel as men. But then the quarrels of men become the contentions of scholars. Having the weapon of contention always ready in their hands, they wield their pen inftead of their cane, begin a kind of mild warfare, and appeal to the public as judges. In this manner has the prefent pamphleteer acted. Dating his letter from "Manacan Vicarage, near Hilfton," in Cornwall, the well-known refidence of the Rev. Mr. Polwhele, and feeling himself injured by "A Literary Society, at Exeter," he has done what every man fo injured and fo feeling had a right to do. He has ftated the injury in a plain narrative of facts; and, though the public at large can have no great intereft in a private quarrel between scholars, yet that very neceflity of felf-vindication, which impelled the author to write, fhould, in pure juftice, induce us to notice what he has written. We shall only notice, however, fuch parts as may give our readers a clear idea of the quarrel, of the frivolous vanity that occafioned it, and of the ferious refentment that has refulted from it :

"As you are ftill attached to your old acquaintaince, Mr. Urban," fays the letter-writer to his friend," you remember, I prefume, two blank verfe fonnets, which appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine, for June, 1795. And you cannot have forgotten the circumftance that the fun and moon, fhining in contraft,' was the subject of both. Thefe little poems were brought forward with the view of exhibiting the one as imitated from the other. The imitation, (as it was termed,) is my own; the other the property of Dr. D. of Exeter. But my fonnet was not a copy. It was sketched from nature, during a winter's walk,

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walk, on the evening of January 3, 1795, at no great diftance from the vicarage s and it was written in blank verfe, as I had been in the habit of writing little poems long before. That these things were fo, the Doctor feemed at length to be convinced, though not till the fubject had been warmly difcuffed between The difcuffion, indeed, was temperate, on my part; to a gentleman, with whom I had lived many years, in habits of the ftricteft intimacy, I was ready to accede every thing but the truth. On his fide, however, there was much indignation and warmth. And even, when I fondly deemed that the tyranny was overpaft,' his anger only ceafed, to fhow itself in menacing expreffions. It may be faid to have been fmothered up in his bofom, to blaze with new violence on fome future occation; or rather to have fubfided into a ftill and determined refentment, awaiting an opportunity for an open rupture with me. Such a process, in an enlightened mind, I was forry to obferve, for the fake of the litera humaniores, to fay nothing of the Doctor's friendship, a friendship founded, (as he profeffed,) on a long experience of my character."

If this reprefentation be true, as from the character of the author we believe it to be, and as, in common juftice, we must believe it to be, till it is contradicted, "Dr. D. of Exeter," is the petty dictator of a petty republic, actuated with all a republican's jealoufy of the merit around him, and acting with all a republican's luft of power to make himself the Monarch of the whole. But let us proceed to the confummation of a quarrel, fo ridiculously commenced :

"The moment for breaking with me," adds the author, "arrived. In 1796 were published the Effays by a Society of Gentlemen at Exeter,' of which fociety the Doctor is a member. Some Arictures on this publication appeared in the European Magazine, for September, 1796, and I was charged with being the reviewer, in the European Magazine.' My reply was fuch as ought to have convinced the fociety, that though I had been much difpleased with Mr. S. and was by no means gratified with the conduct of the editors, yet I was fuperior to thofe fecret manoeuvres, by which fome people endeavoured to detract from the reputation of their enemies. But to the falfe and daring accufations of the Exeter club there is no end. I am this moment furprized and fhocked at the contents of a reply to a correfpondent, at the end of the British Critic for the last month," June, 1797, "from which I collect, that the Effayift on the Population of Europe' fufpects me to be the reviewer of his effay; in anfwer to which I can only declare, that I never yet had the honour of writing a fingle line for the British Critic."

Yet on thefe furmifes, if report fpeak truth, this "Literary Society" proceeded to the laft extreme of tyrannical violence, an expulfion of the author from the fociety itfelf. Well, then, may Dr. Priestley exclaim, in the agony of his American repentance, that "Republics are lefs free than Monarchies." And well may our author come forward calmly to vindicate his infulted name, mildly to *expofe this combination of infulters, and candidly to lay their whole proceedings before the public. We hate all tyranny, but we hate peculiarly the tyranny of our equals, and we therefore take, (till we hear the oppofite fide,) a warm part with the injured against the injurers. This injured man alfo, as he fays himself, is—

"A Vicar of a little parish church in Meneage, contending against a Prebendary of the cathedral church of Exeter, a poet,' against a man of fortune ;**

"The effayift has been at the pains to inform us, that he IS A MAN OF FORTUNE, (that he was once a reviewer,) and that he has a POET FOR AN ENEMY. See acknowledgements to correfpondents, at the end of the British Critic, for June, 1797."

a perfon

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a perfon drooping with indisposition, against the vivacity of fpirits that kindle from collifion; a man,' perhaps, of parts, against genius, wit, and science. Alas! if dignities ftill triumph over conditions caft in obscurity,' riches over neceffitous poetry,† and first-rate powers of mind over moderate abilities; if fuch be fo, my friend, then muft I fall. But when the competition of ftation and of talents fhall ceafe, if TRUTH muft finally prevail, I fhall not fall, like Lucifer, never to rise again."

Since the preceding comments were written, the poftfcript to the letter, (compofed at the commencement of the prefent year,) has been put into our hands. As it difplays the urbanity of the writer's mind in a moft favourable point of view, we fhall infert it at length, and leave our readers to form their own judgement of it :

"A year and half have now elapfed, fince this letter was written. Though I had printed the letter, I determined rather to forego all felf-defence, than haftily publish it. I was willing to hope, that fome kind mediator might ftill compofe the difference between Dr. Downman and myself : and to a common friend I have been fince indebted, for his exertions in my favour-exertions without effect!—I own, I was greatly distressed at the implacability of a gentleman, for whom I had always entertained the higheft regard. Admitting (I exclaimed) that I had really imitated his fonnet, or even that I had hinted a cenfure of him in his editorial capacity, (a cenfure qualified with much praise ;) is a fingle error unpardonable? Are the good offices, the unremitting attentions of friendship, to be held of no weight? Are they to kick the beam, overbalanced by the preponderating load of one tranfgreffion? Is there no atonement to expiate fuch an offence? As a critic, it feems, I have cenfured, in a line or two, the Devon. Effays. This is my crime. But (to fay nothing of the praise contained in that very critique,) has the Doctor forgotten the many pages of applause, in which I have endeavoured to display his knowledge, and genius, and virtues, as a phyfician, a poet, and a man? Has he forgotten all my eulogies in the advertisement to the Devonshire Poems, and in the poems themselves, in my English Orator, my Hiftory, and the English Revieweulogies, which came from the heart, and from the understanding alfo ? And has he discharged, at once, from his mind every fentiment of regard, though all his letters, (fome public, and many private,) month after month, and year after year, concur, in one unvaried teftimony of approbation, efteem, and affection? Shall a friendship supported fo long, and with fuch ardour, be facrificed for-a fong? Difcarding all partiality, has he no refpe&t for my character? Is it nothing, that during a refidence of ten years in Devonshire, I uniformly maintained an intercourfe with the most respectable persons of my neighbourhood, and lived in har mony with all? Is it nothing, that, whilft I was fingularly happy in a correfpondence with my old college acquaintance, the moft cordial and affectionate, I was ftill adding to the number of my friends from the conversation of the social day? Is it nothing, that in the unremitting civilities and attentions of my parishioners at Kenton, and in their public voice on one or two occafions, there appeared the moft unequivocal evidence of their regard for me as their clergyman?-How fingular, indeed, is the circumftance that, though my prefence with Dr. D. and others, for fo many years, was, at leaft, inoffenfive, yet my abfence fhould be thus fraught with injury-How ftrange, that, having fo long enjoyed every comfort that springs from a congeniality of mind—having parted from my friends with a heavy heart, and long separated from them all, at such a distance as this, and thrown into a remote, obfcure, and folitary corner of the world, where I a thousand times deplore my lofs-I am rejected even from their minds, by a fudden irrevocable fentence!' "Such were my reflections, when the following letter reached me. The handwriting I recognized; but of the contents I could form no conjecture. I did not

"See Gent. Mag. for June, 1795."
"Such, I fuppofe, the effayift meant to infinuate."

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