Hence those fond anxious sympathies, that still
Tremble and throb instinctive for a state
Of gratified repose they cannot find

In these frail regions; hence the flights sublime
Of Contemplation, and the Heav'n-drawn beams
Of fair Religion, pour'd on wilder'd man,
Refulgent as benign; and hence ordain'd
The present rites to warm and exercise

These sacred gifts, and wing the soul to Heaven."

"PEACE to our English Church! and peace to all,
Whose rock is Christ! But, with a partial eye
Beholding her fair lineaments, where live,
In traits conspicuous, ardent love of truth,
Sound learning, charity, unnumber'd charms
Of beauteous order, and ingenious skill,
Again, I say, peace to our English Church!
And may she never more have cause to weep
Barbaric blindness, or fanatic zeal;

But still, from age to age, in outward form
And comeliness advance, as shines around
Her inward sanctity, and as her sons
Rise in pre-eminence of virtuous fame!
But, what is perfect? From enlight'ning Time
What may not reap advantage? And is not.
Our native transcript of Heaven's sacred will,
Our stated ritual forms (tho' in their sum
Of worth most excellent) granted by all
Debas'd with blemishes, which skill and care
Might quickly cancel, and delight at once
Our literate taste, and love of hallow'd truth?
For such attempt as many reasons plead,
As are the grateful feelings it would raise.
Then, why delay the effort; Why not call
By rightful summons to the happy task
Our learn'd and pious teachers? they, to whom,
In special sort, the oracles of God

Were evermore assign'd! Great as the charge,
Their literature and skill, their worth and zeal,

Bear meet relation. And, were realiz'd

This wish'd and hop'd acquirement, how the breast
Of warm ingenuous Piety would bound,
To know her heav'nly manna treasur'd up,
Complete as it is safe, within an ARK
Corruption cannot touch, nor foe annoy,
While letters and religion bless these isles ?"

With respect to a new translation of the Bible, for which the author here expresses his wish, we think, with the judicious Dr. Hey, emerite Professor of Divinity at Cambridge, that the proper time for such a work is not yet arrived. Many amendments, no doubt, might be made now; but, as an alteration, whenever it shall be made, cannot be made without manifest inconvenience, we are of opinion, that it ought not to be attempted till it is quite clear, that the advantage, to be obtained by the alteration, will make amends for the attending inconvenience. We think it better, that learned men, and several have set the example, should employ their un divided attention on particular books of scripture, and that a new translation of the whole should afterwards be made from their accumulated labours. This indeed is what Dr. Hey has proposed. If persons of learning were appointed to take each a small part of the scriptures, to examine all the readings, and propose new senses for the world to judge of, a new translation might go on gradually and safely; the legislature might employ proper persons, and at last collect the parts, and set the seal of public authority."

Norrisian Lect. b. 1. chap. ix. s. xì. The other poems, of which this volume is composed, are "Ode to the Genius of the Lakes," and "Stanzas on the death of Dr. Johnson ;" both of which have consider able merit. To the former are subjoined Notes, from which it appears, that the birth-place of many persons, eminent in the literary world, was in the neighbourhood of the Lakes. Among these, we find the names, and a short account of Gilpin, the apostle of the North, Lancelot Addison, father of the celebrated Joseph Addison, Dr. Mills, editor of the Greek Testament, Bp. Gibson, Tickell, the poet, Chambers, author of the Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, Peter Collinson, Dr. Shaw, Jeremiah Seed, Joseph Sowerby, a man of most extraordinary genius and proficiency in the mathematics, Dr. Langhorne, the poet, and Hogarth.

It appears, that Mr. Cockin was the author of several publications besides the present, and that he assisted also in the compilation of the "Guide to the Lakes;" a work, which has passed through several editions.

P.

Peculiar Privileges of the Christian Ministry, considered in a charge delivered to the Clergy of the Diocese of St. David's at the primary Visitation of that Diocese, in the year 1804. By THOMAS, Lord Bishop of St. David's. 4to. Rivingtons. Pp. 36.

It treatise on the pastoral office T has been truly observed, that an admirable system

and care might be compiled from the charges which have been published by the prelates of our church. Such a work judiciously digested would be of inestimable value and service, not only to the younger clergy and students, but to divines of the highest order, and the longest standing in the church.

The Charge now before us, would supply of itself abundant materials towards an Enchiridion of this kind: as it contains many hints and observations not commonly to be met with, but which are of great importance.

The learned and amiable prelate considers "what peculiar privileges towards the acquisition of happiness here and hereafter, the CHRISTIAN MINISTRY possesses in its opportunities of a retired, studious, peaceful, religious, useful life."

On the advantages to be derived from a studious life, we extract with pleasure the following excellent remarks and instruction.

"The love of knowledge is an original and innate principle. For what is mind, but the faculty of perceiving knowledge? And 'that which is inherent in its nature cannot but be conducive to its pleasure. The pleasure arising from the perception of what we did not know before, is, too, as universal, as it is innate; is seen in the infant and the savage, in the scholar and the philosopher. External circumstances, indeed, perhaps more than any thing else, give it in different persons a very different direction; and therefore in the mind of an adult the kind of knowledge, which communicates delight to one, excites no interest in ano ther. It is also as active as it is universal. One man it sends to the utmost bounds of the habitable globe through the severest extremities of heat and cold, of danger and disaster. Another, with the same ardent spirit of enquiry, exhausts, in his laboratory or his study, the vigour of his healthiest days, the flower of his animal spirits, perhaps the very power of his reason. "Nothing can shew the fascinating influence of this thirst of knowledge

knowledge more than the pernicious effects of intemperate study. Fortunately for humanity, we do not often hear of instances of its being pursued to the derangement of the understanding; but examples are never wanting of those ill effects on the judgment, which are seen in partial and limited studies, and in the intense application of the mind to one subject. And this affords the only, or best accountable reason, why some men of great excellence in particular branches of knowledge, such even as astronomy and medicine, have been unbelievers in revealed religion. The most effectual preventive of such perversion of judgment is found in that enlarged and diversified cultivation of the different parts of knowledge, to which their own relative connection naturally leads. And happily for him, who devotes himself to the Christian ministry, no other professional study combines so many of the most valuable parts of learning.

"Whatever, indeed, can in any degree recommend the cultiva tion of general knowledge, or give value to books, the inestimable repositories of knowledge, may be eminently said to the praise of sacred learning. The antiquary, the philologist, the historian, the moralist, the poet, and the artist, will all find in the study of the Bible ample stores to interest their respective tastes, and exercise their talents."

The usefulness of the Christian ministry is forcibly stated in a variety of particulars. One instance of its necessity is" for the right interpretation of the scriptures." It is judiciously observed, that to the want of a correct knowledge of the languages in which the scriptures were written, may be ascribed "the many discor dances of sect and schism which have divided the church of Christ." Here the right reverend author takes occasion to subjoin the following important and valuable note, in which he vindicates concisely, but irrefragably, Mr. Sharp's" Remarks on the uses of the definitive article in the Greek text of the New Testament."

"We have the authority of one of the most learned men of any age or country for saying, that " Non aliunde dissidia in religione dependent quam ab ignoratione grammaticæ." (SCALIGERANA, p. 86. ed. Tan. Fabri.) We may exemplify this remark of Scaliger, by some important passages in the New Testament relative to the Divinity of Christ, about which there can be no doubt, if the construction of the Greek language is to be determined by its own idioms. Take one passage instar omnium. St. Paul says, Προσδεχομενοι την μακαρίαν ελπίδα και επιφανειαν της δόξης του μεγάλου θεου και σωτήρος ημων, Ιησου Χριστου. (Titus ii. 13.) Our common version translates this passage thus: Looking for that blessed hope of the glorious appearing of the great God,

and

and our Saviour Jesus Christ." The MS. correction in the margin of Hugh Broughton's version, quoted by Mr. Sharp, translates it less ambiguously *" The glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.' We have in the language of this version St. Paul's most express declaration of the Divinity of Jesus Christ. And so Hammond translates it in his margin, and Whitby confirms this sense in his note on the passage. And so, too, Whitby affirms, that all the ancient Greek fathers understood it. What Whitby says in a few words, yet not without reference to the works of some of the most ancient and learned of the fathers, Mr. Wordsworth has shewn at large in his Six Letters addressed to Mr. Sharp, by so full and satisfactory a statement and citation of all the ancient fathers, that, if authority had its due weight, there would be no difference of opinion about the passage in question. But to the argument from authority we may add the jus et norma loquendi of the Greek language. Beza affirms, that the idiomatical construction of the words requires the sense which is given to the passage in the old version before quoted, and by the ancient Greek fathers. Whitby, and others of a later date assert the same. Mr. Sharp, in his Remarks on the uses of the definitive article in the Greek text of the New Testament, has confirmed this argument from idiom by a minute examination of similar forms of expression in the New Testament. He has laid open the principle of Beza's observation; and has shewn that the passage of St. Paul will bear no other interpretation consistently with the uniform usage of the Greek language of the New Testament, than that which declares Christ to be our GREAT GOD AND SAVIOUR. Mr. Sharp's Remarks and Mr. Wordsworth's Letters have extorted from an unbeliever in the divinity of Christ Six more Letters addressed to Mr. Sharp, which are very well calculated to mislead the unlearned reader by ab stract questions, gratuitous assertions, and hypothetical examples; but communicate nothing on the score of authority, which bears any comparison with the unanimous consent of the Greek fathers; and nothing at all which has any pretence to gramma, tical observation. His use of the Port Royal Greek Grammar, his new mode of construing Greek, and his misapplication of English phraseology to Greek idiom are too ill-grounded, and their defects too palpable to escape the notice of a sensible school-boy. This writer attempts to throw ridicule on Mr. Sharp's argument from literal testimony, because it depends on so minute a part of speech as a Greek article; as if the power of words depended on the number of their syllables. Perhaps Mr. Blunt, as he calls himself, will have no objection to the au

* I say less ambiguously, because our present version is capable of the same meaning by a different punctuation," the great God and our Sa viour Jesus Christ" that is, Jesus Christ, the great God and our Saviour.

thority