Denham, Suffolk. 12mo. 110 pp. Sold by the Author at The Vicar of Bengeo combats our Romish opponents with zeal, but not with that precifion or knowledge of the arts of contro verfy which are neceffary in fuch a conteft. The outline of his tract is not amifs, but we could with that the filling up of it had been committed to fome other hand. His Commentaries indeed, if fuch they must be called, are too brief and jejune for the illuftra tion of fo vaft a variety of fubjects as are comprised in his twelve chapters. We wish that we could fpeak more favourably of à work well fuited in its defign to the ncceffities of the times. ART. 30. Gataker's bort Catechifm, in forty Questions and An fwers; first published in 1637. Repablished, with Alterations, for the Ufe of Schools. By Edward Pearson, D.D. 12mo. 8 pp. 2d. Hatchard. 1810. The late excellent and justly lamented Mafter of Sidney had been long indefatigable in printing fach fhort tracts for circulation as were likely to confirm good principles. Gataker's Catechism he certainly did not mean to recommend in preference to that of the Church; but, from its extreme concifenefs, he probably thought that it might be taught with advantage either before or after the other. ART. 31. The Fafts and Festivals of the Church of England, abridged from the Works of the excellent and pious Mr. Nelfon: interfperfed with Dialogues, adapted to the Capacity of Youth. By Elizabeth Beljon. 8vo. 372 pp. 7s. Newman and Co. 1810. This little work would perhaps be better defcribed as " Dia logues adapted to the Capacity of Youth, in which are interwoven Mr. Nelfon's Explanations of the Fafts and Feftivals," for the whole has the form of dialogue. It would have been a strong recommendation to the book, if the paffages quoted from Nelfon, in his own words, had been diftinguished by inverted commas, which, perhaps, was intended; but, by fome inadvertence, the inverted commas appear every where, and confequently make no diftinction at all. The work, however, is pious and ufeful, and deferves an honourable place among the very numerous publications calculated for the inftruction of young perfons. In our opinion, the Dialogues would be improved, in another edition, if the author would omit a large proportion of the dears and loves addreffed by the good mother to her children; which, though they may be very natural, are rather tirefome in the perufal. The book has certainly confiderable merit, and we can, without hefitation, recommend it. ART. ART. 32. An Inquiry into the Moral Tendency of Methodism and Evangelical Preaching: including fome Remarks on the Hints of a Barrister. By William Burns. Part the First. 8vo. 141 PP. 45. Johnfon. 1810. This tract confifts of feven letters, addreffed to the author of the "Hints." They are evidently the work of an acute and fenfible writer. He fhows very clearly that the barrister formed his conclufions much too haftily, when he attributed the increafe of profligacy to the apparently antinomian doctrines of certain preachers; but he alfo points out, in many other inftances, wherein thofe teachers deviate from the truth. The Barrifter is evidently a Socinian or Unitarian. His correfpondent does not here completely declare himself, but we conceive him to be rather an Arian. Be this as it may, he is a man of confiderable powers; he argues clofely, and writes with perfpicuity, and fixes attention by deferving it. The following remarks on the means of acquiring popularity as a teacher are fagacious, and account for much of the fuccefs of the Sectarian ministers : "There is only one requifite in a religious doctrine to make it popular, befides the manner of preaching it. Chriftians of every age and country, have generally been of opinion, that fomething more than plain fincerity, honefty, and truth, is required in the Christian character. In the early ages, this other thing was fuppofed to confift in bodily mortifications, and folitary contempla. tion; afterwards, devotion to the clergy fupplied all defects; and, in later ages, certain metaphyfical opinions, myftic feelings, or formalities about church government and worship, are generally understood to be the most precious and rare ingredients of true Chriftianity. "It matters not on which of thefe, or any thing like them, a preacher fixes the effence of religion, provided it be an uncom mon thing, by the attainment of which the devotee may be fignalized from the reft of the world. This gratifies the propenfity for extraordinary fanctity; and if the preacher himfeif is duly careful to excel in the supposed attainment, it recommends him to his hearers, as a favourite of heaven. When a man thus appears as a favourite of God, and is supposed capable of teaching others how to arrive at the fame diftinction, he is poffeffed of one of the moft effential qualities of a popular preacher; and if he has natural eloquence, and an earneft manner, he will not fail of producing a powerful impreffion." P. 23. This claim of fuperior fanctity, derived, as is pretended, from the immediate gift of God, is affuredly the great charm which draws multitudes to the conventicle, where they figh and fuffer tortures till they feel or fancy the fame gifts which are pretended by their orators. Without agreeing in every thing with the author of these Letters, we have been much pleafed, on the whole, with the ftyle and substance of his Letters, which we shall be glad to fee continued. Violence and exaggeration, fuch as appear in every part of the "Hints," defeat their own purposes: but found and temperate reasoning must have effect, at least with reasonable perfons. ART. 33. Select Homilies of the Church of England, appointed to be read in Churches in the time of Queen Elizabeth, and no less Juitable for Villages and Families. Izmo. 232 PP. 3s. 6d. Williams. 1811. Every publication which tends to make the excellent Homilies of our Church more known and more confulted deferves our attention and praife. It is now a confiderable time fince (1795) Sir Adam Gordon published his useful work on the fubject. The prefent volume comprises a judicious felection from the fame originals, with no material changes in the language. What the anonymous editor means by faying in his preface, that the doctrines which thefe homilies inculcate "are now branded with novelty or fanaticism," we are at a lofs to conjecture; for certainly not a hint is to be found, either in the extracts he has published, any other part of the homilies, in favour of thofe fanatical novelties refpecting miraculous calls, or pangs of new birth, &c. which are at prefent juftly branded and the doctrines that do appear here are held by all the fons of the Church of England, who are most remote from fanaticifm. Whatever the editor may have intended by this paffage, it is clear that he has produced a good book; and the teftimonies in favour of the Homilies, contained in the latter part of his preface, are judicioufly introduced. or in ART. 34. An Attempt to fhew the Folly and Danger of Methodifm. In a Series of Effays firft published in the weekly Paper called the Examiner, and now enlarged with a Preface and additional Notes. By the Editor of the Examiner. 128 pp. 6d. Hunt. 1809. 8vo. 25. may be we know not; but Many of the abfurdities and ftrikingly pourtrayed; but Who the editor of the Examiner he is a writer of fluency and vigour. evils of Methodifm are here very when the author wishes to level all the fences of the church, and to admit the wideft latitude of opinions, we regret that we cannot accept of fuch an ally. The following paffage has in it abundance of very important truth. "In fact, their love of God, in its beft ftate, in its warmeft affection, can be founded upon nothing but his partiality to themfelves: it has nothing to do with thofe qualities for which we love our fellow-creatures, fuch as benevolence, good temper, and univerfal philanthropy; and fince we can really love nothing but thefe qualities, it is evident that they mistake the enjoyment of their own perfonal fafety for fpiritual attachment to their protector. Their fweet faveet experiences, and divine affurances of fafety will indeed fometimes render them as infane with joy as they are very often infane: with horror. The Arminian Methodists cannot help being feandalized at their brethren the Calvinifts, who in their exquifitehumility are continually crying out "Lord, why me? Why me?" But there appears nothing wonderful to me in the question. The Calvinists acknowledge, and indeed take a pride in faying, that they are the vileft of vile finners, and if they really think as they talk, they may reafonably be furprised that God fhews fuch a partiality to them, to the eternal prejudice of almost all mankind." P. 41. Whatever may be the faults of this publication, there is much in it that well deferves the confideration both of Churchmen and Methodists; and, if it is not in all points conclufive*, it is in many ingenious, forcible, and argumentative. ART. 35. The Crifis of Religion: á Sermon preached at Laura Chapel, Bathwick, Nov. 17, 1811; containing Strictures upon Mr. Lancaster's System of popular Education. By the Rev. E. W. Grinfield, M. A. Minifter of Laura Chapel. 31 pp. 15. Bath; printed by Meyler; London, Rivingtons. 1811. No attempt is made by this author to decide either on the claims of Dr. Bell or Mr. Lancaster on the invention of the mode of education in queftion; he confines himself to a comparison of their probable confequences. The one he ftates as taking the éftablished religion of our country for its bafis, and as profeffing to adopt a more cheap and comprehenfive method of diffufing ufe." ful knowledge. The other as fubverfive of all steady religious principle. We fhall extract the ftatement in the words of the author. Speaking of Dr. Bell's plan he fays: "To the poor, who might otherwife have been debarred from the attainment of reading and writing, it offers thefe attainments; but it offers them, guarded againft abufe, by encircling them, with the piety and principles of their ancestors. Far from prefuming to innovate upon hereditary maxims, or to depart from the venerable code enacted at the Reformation; it merely engrafts a beautiful and expeditious apparatus upon thefe tried and eftablifned principles. But the other fyftem is far more bold and daring in its pretenfions; it feeks not only a change of means, but a revolution of effects; and while it differs but little in its inftrumental machi. nery, is totally oppofite in its application and refult. This fyf tem, as far as I comprehend it, originally proceeds upon the fol lowing affumptions:-That there are fome general articles of be * One unfortunate miftake of this author feems to be the opi nion that the doctrine of the Trinity refts only, or principally on the controverted Text, 1 John v. 7. whereas it has innumerable others to fupport it, and does not, in fact, want that. U u 4 lief in which all Chriftians are agreed: fuch for inftance, the authority of the fcriptures ;--the existence and providence of God, and the incarnation of Chrift. Neglecting then all thofe inna. merable traits of doctrine, which ferve to diftinguish and charac terize the various bodies of the Chriftian world, it only infifts on thefe few topics, which no man but a profeffed infidel, ever pre. famed to question. After the youth has made fufficient elementary progrefs, the Bible is put into his hands, and without creed, or catechifm, or commentary, he is left to form his own felection of doctrines. How Hittle fuch a vagrant introduction is fitted to advance the interefts of real and practical Chriftianity, I will leave to the common fenfe of any man to determine; to me it appears the readieft and shorteft of all methods to form fceptics and infi. dels. It is in truth, no other than the vain delufions of Rouffeau reduced to practice. The philofopher, in his utter deteftation of prejudice, thought it beft to leave his imaginary pupils entirely to themselves; to let them grope after wifdom, uninfluenced by pa ternal folicitude; and undirected by hereditary information. But it was foon difcovered that a favage, not a fage would be the refult of this abfence of prejudice, and but a few years must convince the public that any thing but a Chriftian may be formed from this wild and unbottomed fcheme of inftruction."-The au thor concludes with a strong recommendation of eftablishing paro chial fchools, where this powerful machinery may be employed in the defence of the eftablished church. Where ufeful knowledge may be obtained, and at the fame time the peculiar doctrines of our national religion be duly inculcated. ART. 36. Select Paffages from the Holy Scriptures; containing e Summary of Religious and Moral Inftruction, proper to be committed to Memory by young Perfons. Compiled by Henry Tuke. Mr. Tuke we have fuppofed to be a Quaker, who has produced other fmall works, which have fallen under our notice. But what ever may be his perfuafion, this little compilation may be ufeful for children of all churches. It contains only paffages ture, digefted under heads, as of God, of Chrift, of of the Scriptures, and of a future ftate, &c ART. 37. Vindicia Ecclefiaftica. that the Church of England dor preached in the Parish Church the Rev. T. Waite, M.A. nefs the Duchess of London; Allen, &c. Never, furely, wa at prefent; to |