ment, deducible rather from the conduct of the Apostles, than the exprefs words of fcripture. Such are not matters of faith, nor ftrictly effential, except to fuch as acknowledge their propriety and apoftolical authority. As to doctrines, to fay that they find nothing in the New Teftament of afcription of glory to one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, is a mifreprefentation of matters; for no Church member pretends to find this, totidem verbis. But that afcription of glory to Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, is to be found in the New Teftament, they do maintain; and one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, are but the terms they have chofen, whereby to fet forth the mystery which they judge to be communicated among the revelations contained in the facred volume; among other paffages, in "many praifes, many doxologies, and many devout afpirations," but principally in the prescribed form of baptifm. But the most mistaken part of this difcourfe feems to us to be where Dr. Toulmin takes notice of the prosecution and deprivation of Mr. Stone. He appears to have regarded that gentleman not only as the object of perfecution in the fentence paffed on him, but as having been one of an oppreffed clergy, while he continued in the miniftry of a church whofe creeds and whofe articles he difbelieved and defpifed. We must maintain, that he had no business to be of that ministry. The emoluments of the Church, and the appointment to the ministry, were by him dif honestly taken, under falfe pretences. Benefices are, in fact, trufts repofed in the hands of particular perfons, for particular purposes. The qualifications upon which they are to be taken, are not prefcribed to any who afk to be admitted and preferred, in the way of compulfion, force, or oppreffion. They are matters of notoriety, capable of being examined, confidered, and comprehended, before any steps are taken towards admission into the miniftry. If the candidate judges them to be confiftent with fcripture, he voluntarily folicits to be admitted as a member, upon thofe grounds. If he does not in his heart and confcience believe them fo to be, he acts most bafely and hypocritically in feigning an affent for worldly purposes. If after admiffion his opinion changes, he is free to depart, but upon no principle whatsoever can we discover that he has any right to fay, "because I can no longer conform to your way of thinking, you ought, and are bound to conform to mine." Yet, in our estimation, this is precifely the language held by thofe, who, continuing in the miniftry of the Church, folicit a repeal of our articles of communion, as a falvo for their own private confciences. In submitting to the legal enactments by which the Church is regulated, we do not acknowledge any legiflator paramount to Jefus Christ, but we leave it open to every one to judge whether our doctrines, rules, and difcipline are actually, founded on his word, or the practices of his Apostles; whoever thinks fo may join us; whoever thinks otherwife, may follow their own confciences. This we affert to be the precife cafe. Mr. Stone was not reftrained in the affertion of his opinions by any measure cf oppreffion, but he was reftrained by the laws of a particular fociety, of which he profeffed to be a true member, from giving offence and fcandal to that fociety in a particular place, where he could not claim to be heard, but upon certain conditions to which he had himself voluntarily fubfcribed. We are forry to find any refpectable unitarians pretend to justify fuch acts of intrufion; but what must we think of the horrible reflection thrown on others of the clergy by the following paffage. "Our brethren in the church," fays the doctor, "If pure Christianity be dear to them, muft applaud our views, and be ready to congratulate our advantages. They with pleafure muft behold a body of Chriftians difpofed and able to carry on that laudable defign, in which they themselves are engaged! with an efficacy and fuccefs, which their own fituation, as a late cafe has moft clearly fhewn, doth not permit them to enjoy," It seems then that Dr. T. thinks, (we dare not fay knows) that there are other Mr. Stones in the miniftry of the Church not yet found out; if there be, we can only fay, that for their own fakes we wish them carefully to perufe and confider the weighty paffage of Scripture contained in Rev. xviii. 4. If they think fo ill of the Church, let them withdraw themselves from her miniftry. We must not difmifs this article without obferving, that in the fermons are to be found many apt references to the claffics, and to fome of the most eminent of our Church divines, which proves the author to be a man of extensive and general reading. ART. XI. Philemon; or the Progrefs of Virtue; a Poem. In two Volumes. By William Lawrence Brown, D.D. Principal of Marifchal College and University of Aberdeen, &c. 12mo. 14s. Edinb. printed; Longman and Co. London. 1809. IN every part of our career, we have been gratified with the works of Dr. Brown, whofe admirable effay, "on the Natural Equality of Men," noticed in our first volume (p. 394), He (p. 394), ftamped upon our minds an idea of his merits, which we have never fince found occafion to change. appears here in a new light, that of a moral and religious poet, and he appears with advantage; and though accident has made us fomewhat tardy in our notice of the work, it has not diminished our defire to give it just commenda tion. These He draws, in this poem, a Chriftian hero, whom he attends from his birth to his death-bed, and describes in all the various fituations of life. So long a narrative, continued through ten fucceffive books, undoubtedly required great powers to fuftain its vigour, and preferve the intereft requifite to carry the reader to its conclufion. powers have not been wanting; and though the compofition may fail to place its author in the firft clafs of British Poets, it will certainly occafion him to be recorded among our most elegantly inftructive writers. Dr. Brown is clearly a man of a poetical mind, and of poetical knowledge; he enlivens his fubject, where it admits of fuch decoration, with pictures and images of the nobleft kind; but his plan is not always poetical; and he yields, at fuch times, to the influence of his fubject. Philemon is a native of Scotland, the fon of a Clergyman, educated in the univerfity of St. Andrew's, and, after due preparation, making choice of the clerical profeffion for himfelf. For thefe particulars the author fufficiently ac counts. "He is," he fays, "a Caledonian, because experience rendered me more capable of drawing the moral character of an in dividual, born, educated, and acting in Scotland, than that to which any other national features might be ascribed." "Philemon makes choice of the clerical profeffion, because it is, in my opinion, beft calculated to form the mind to virtuous ha bits, and infpire dignity of fentiment and conduct.I wished, befides, to give due importance to a profeffion, which, however exalted in itself, is but too frequently undervalued in a corrupt, wealthy, and irreligious age." P. x. Thefe are excellent reafons; and fo are others which the author affigns, for other parts of his plan. The action is placed early in the 18th century, and embraces, before its close, the era of the battle of Culloden. The hero travels and fees Europe as it then was, and we have only poetical intimation, of the changes it has fince undergone. Nine books are employed in forming and completing the character of Philemon, and it is fully developed in the last, which is, in fome re fpe& fpects more interefting than any of the preceding. In the early books there is too little action; and the sketch of hiftory facred and profane which they exhibit, with other particulars of the education of Philemon, are. rather too iminute to produce a vigorous effect. We proceed, however, to give our readers fome notion of the execution of the work. The author thus opens his fubject. "The man, who, burning with Ambition's fires, By martial fury to renown afpires, Diftains with gore his defolating way, And reigns while orphans weep his cruel fway. "The crafty ftatefman, who, with fpecious wiles, And veils th' oppreffor with a patriot's guife; "But he, who, foon as dawning reafon show'd In every grace majestic and benign, Felt all his foul infpired with facred awe, Maintain'd, through humble life, a loyal mind, "Forbid it, Truth! who bafenefs canst descry And fpeaks God's image in the foul of man." Vol. I. p. 1. The birth-place of Philemon is defcribed in very poetical frains. "A vale there is, where Grampian mountains rife, Their fnow-clad fummits mingling with the skies; 3 Whof Whofe fhadows, shifting, as the fun proceeds, A limpid ftream, or rolls its glittering maze, "But, ere this ftream has left its native hill, Scoop'd by the waters of a thousand years; Illume the trees, or tremble on the stream. The fhelving fhores with gently murm'ring waves. Save when the fog, defcending from the fteep, "In this recefs, Simplicity's abode, The modeft manfion of a man of God Stood near the dome, where weekly prayer afcends To gain the audience, heavenly Mercy lends." Vol. I p. 9. With an impartiality, worthy of a fuperior mind, this poet laments the defolating turn taken by the Reformation in Scotland, under the conduct of Knox. "When pure Religion's renovated dawn The voice of God was heard, again, from heaven. |