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ATTERBURY, and the Syriac and Arabic verfions. He obferves, that if we suppose this covering of fins "to be meant of the penitent's fins, it was (as Bishop Atterbury has well argued,) included in the former promise, for if a foul is faved from death, moft affuredly its fins are covered. It is in truth an additional and powerful motive propofed" to engage us in this pious work and most chriftian labour of love. The dean ftrongly recommends to his hearers the perufal of Bp. Atterbury's fermon; from which he gives an interefting quotation. We are glad to obferve that Bp. Atterbury is an authority to which he appeals. We may judge of the fcholar from the fchool in which he has studied.

He says—“ it is no inconfiderable argument, in fupport of the interpretation I contend for, that the authors of the Syriack tranflation of the N. T. which was indifputably made in, or very near, the apoftle's time (as it was natural it fhould, that being the current language of the country in which Chrift's miracles were wrought, and his glorious gospel first preached) have rendered this text―he shall hide the multitude of his own fins." Junius and Tremellius accordingly give the paffage-" et opperit multitudinem peccatorum SUORUM." This fhews how it "was understood at the time and in the place (Judaa) where the epiftle of St. James was written." The dean, here, maintains the authority of the Syriac verfion by ftating the. opinion of the late venerable Mr. Jones in its behalf.

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Having thus fettled the text, and laid down his doctrine, the preacher enters into his fubject, and inveftigates the caufes of the moft dangerous and moft prevailing errors, which as guardians of the piety and virtue of women, the governors of the Magdalen charity are more peculiarly called upon to counteract. He notices, in eloquent and glowing language, the increase of errors, fraught with mischief towards females, which "the confpiracy against the Chriftian religion" has occafioned. He fpeaks, with an indignation which becomes him, of "the impious contempt of marriage and the degradation of that holy rite, into an interested, intolerable, yet dif-. foluble contract," which the new philofophy has infpired. He fays that a general contempt for women manifefted itself amongst the philofophifts, "not indeed univerfal; for those were exempt from it, who alone deferred it; those who abandoned every virtue, every delicacy, and real fenfibility of their fex, to prostitute their talents as priefteffes of idolized licentiousness; to diffeminate doctrines, which, wherever they prevail, annihilate the peculiar excellencies and profane the purity of the female character; and, notwithstanding their affected pretenfions to fenfibility, to exhibit, in their own conduct, examples of ferocity, from which the hardieft man would turn away with difguft." Here the Fernigs, who fought along with Dumouriez, the Talliens, the Beauharnois, the Williamfes, the Woolftoncrafts, &c. are pourtrayed with the hand of a master.

After this, he takes up a freth topic-and occupies, what is to us, new ground. Says he, "there is too much reafon to fear that too many who are virtuous themfeves, jealous of their own character, and inattentive to virtue and chracter in others, have yet, by their general conduct, contributed inadvertently to increase the dangers of both. These errors it is my duty to fpecify." He then speaks of the evils flowing from the fatal and irrational miftake of preferring "the ornamental to the effential branches of

female education."

He fhews "THE CHRISTIAN MATRON" how neceffary it is "to keep Vol. III. Churchm. Mag. July 1802. a ftrict

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a ftrict guard, not only upon her own converfation, but over any that is held before thofe in whofe purity and fafety fhe is interested."

He introduces a moft interefting obfervation on the fituation of the female dependent in great families; an obfervation which does equal honor to the perfpicacity of his underftanding, and the liberality of his heart.

He then touches, in very appropriate terms, (mentioning its feeming want of importance, but lamenting its deftructive effects,) on the decorum to be observed in the drefs and decoration of females.

Next he reprobates that habit fo prevalent amongst the opulent, of "continual dilipation and amufement."

The indirect addrefs to the penitents which follows, is well conceived; the pathetic conclufion of the fermon must have had a powerful effect upon all who heard it; and we cannot wonder that the dean was requested by the audience to publifh his difcourfe.

Lectures on the Gospel of St. Matthew, delivered in the Parish Church of St. James, Westminster, in the years 1798, 1799, 1800, 1801. By the Right Reverend BEILBY PORTEUS, D. D. Bishop of London. 2 vols. 8vo.

(Continued from Vol. II. p. 334.)

THE HE fourth lecture is upon a fubject of high importance, and which has been moft wantonly treated by those writers who have been displeased with myfteries in the Bible. This fubject is no other than the awful one of Chrift's temptation in the wilderness, and we remember to have been uncommonly delighted with the bishop's confideration of it in the pulpit; -that pleasure certainly has not been leffened by the perufal of the prefent lecture. The late Mr. Farmer, a diffenting minifter of confiderable ingenuity, refolved the whole tranfaction into a mere vifion, and we believe the entire body of those who affectedly call themselves rational Chriftians either confider the narration in the fame light, or treat it as an allegory. The bishop of London has fatisfactorily established the reality of the cir cumftance, and has combated the wire-drawn hypothefes of these antifcripturifts in the moft convincing manner. In addition to his own cogent arguments on this point, he has given in a note, the opinion of a learned friend, which as being exceedingly acute and striking, we shall here extract.

"It is an obfervation of a learned friend of mine (fays his lordship) that the temptation of Chrift in the Wilderness bears an evident analogy to the trial of Adam in Paradife, and elucidates the nature of that trial in which the tempter prevailed and man fell. The fecond Adam, who undertook the caufe of fallen man, was fubjected to temptation by the fame apoftate fpirit. Herein the tempter failed, and the fecond Adam in confequence became the restorer of the fallen race of the first. St. Paul in more places than one, points out the refemblance between the first Adam and the fecond; and the temptation in the wilderness exhibits a most interesting tranfaction, where the fecond Adam was actually placed in a fituation very fimilar to that of the firft. The fecrets of the Most High are unfathomable to fhort-fighted mortals; but it would appear from what may be humbly learnt and inferred from this tranfaction, that our bleffed Lord's temptation by Satan, was a neceffary part in the divine œconomy towards accomplishing the redemption of mankind."

. After going over the particulars of this myfterious conteft, his lordship makes fome excellent reflections upon temptation in general, and clofes with a direction to his hearers to "acquire an early habit of felf government and an early intercourfe with their heavenly protector and comforter" as the only fure means of repelling "the moft powerful temptations." The next lecture confiders the entrance of our bleffed Lord upon his

public miniftry, and among other weighty obfervations, we meet with a condenfed but very powerful vindication of the miracles recorded in the Gospel. The fifth and fixth lectures contain a beautiful and most evangelical expofition of the fermon on the mount, in which fermon is contained the whole effence of Chriftian morality. But left any objection be taken at our adopting the word morality, let us hear what the bishop of London says upon the fubject.

"The morality he [i. e. Jesus Christ] taught, was the pureft, the foundest, the fublimeft, the most perfect that had ever before entered into the imagination, or proceeded from the lips of man. And this he delivered in a manner the moft ftriking and impreffive; in fhort, fententious, folemn, important, ponderous, rules and maxims, or in familiar, natural, affecting fimilitudes and parables. He fhewed alfe a moft confummate knowledge of the human heart, and dragged to light all its artifices, fubtleties, and evafions. He difcovered every thought, as it arofe in the mind; he detected every irregular defire before it ripened into action. He manifested at the fame time the most perfect impartiality. He had no refpect of perfons. He reproved vice in every ftation wherever he found it with the fame freedom and boldness; and he added to the whole, the weight, the irresistible weight of his own example. He, and he only of all the fons of men, acted up in every, the minute inftance to what he taught; and his life exhibited a perfect portrait of his religion. But what completed the whole was, that he taught, as the evangelift expreffes it, with authority, with the authority of a divine teacher.

"The ancient philofophers could do nothing more than give good advice to their followers; they had no means of enforcing that advice but our great Lawgiver's precepts are all DIVINE COMMANDS. He spoke in the name of God; he called himself the Son of God. He fpoke in a tone of fuperiority and authority, which no one before had the courage or the right to affume and finally he enforced every thing he taught by the moft folemn and awful fanctions, by a promise of eternal felicity to thofe who obeyed him, and a denunciation of the most tremendous punishment to those who rejected him.

"Thefe were the circumftances which gave our bleffed Lord the authority with which he fpake. No wonder then that the people "were aftonished at his doctrines; and that they all declared he spake as never man spake.*"

A Candid Enquiry into the thefe troublesome Times. Religion, they diffeminate and State. 8vo. pp. 36.

(To be continued.)

Democratic Schemes of the Diffenters, during
Tending to fhew, that under the Cloak of
their Political Principles against the Church
Bradford, Yorkshire, 1801.

4

A Letter to the REVEREND AUTHOR of a Candid Enquiry into the Democratic Schemes of the Diffenters. 8vo. pp. 36. Leeds, 1801.

The Guilt of Democratic Scheming fully proved against the Diffenters. At the particular Request of Mr. PARSONS, Diffenting Minifter, at Leeds. By the ENQUIRER. 8vo. pp. 94. Bradford, 1802.

TH

HESE three pamphlets being_connected together, we fhall confider them in one point of view. But let us premife, that though we are decidedly attached to the interests of the established Church, and though we confider feparation from her as nothing less than fchifm, yet we would not by any means wish to abridge the liberty of the diffenters, nor would we give any countenance to unjuft afperfions upon them. Certain it is, however, and a lamentable truth it is, that notwithstanding the favour they have received from the government, and the liberality they have ex* John vii, 46. F 2

perienced

perienced from the Church, their return (generally speaking) has be infidious and ungrateful. To charge them as a body with being democrats, we are not inclined, but we are not uncharitable nor unjust in saying, that the great body of them cherish an implacable hatred to the Church established. Nor can it be denied, that among the most eminent of the jacobinical party, the principal part have been diffenters. Those publications which are most distinguished by the leaven of democracy, are known to be under the management of diffenting teachers, from the ponderous Cyclopædia, down to the Critical Review.

The author of the first of these tracts, has brought forward fome notable proofs of the prevalence of democracy among the diffenters. What he has advanced upon the fubjects of county affociations, itinerant focieties, reading focieties, &c. is of ferious importance; and we are well perfuaded, that thefe practices have not been fet on foot by the sectaries, but with a hoftile design against the Church of England.

This " Enquiry" has called forth Mr. Parfons, a diffenting teacher, at Leeds, under the affumed name of Vindex, to vindicate himself and his brethren from the heavy charges brought against them. He begins his epiftle by farcaftically thanking the Enquirer for his publication, on the ground, that it is likely to fubferve the diffenting caufe. But truth obliges us to fay, that there is more of invective and farcafm in this letter than argument or fact. Mr. Parfons has been moft unsuccessful in repelling the charges alledged; and what is worfe, he has been guilty of wilful falfehood. This is a ferious accufation, but we fhall now proceed to prove it. At page 8, he fays, "With the Methodists I have no connexion.' Now it is well known, that this fame Mr. Parfons, who was no other than a butcher's fervant in Whitechapel, came out as a preacher under the wing of the Methodists, and that now when he vifits London, he regularly preaches at the Tabernacle in Moorfields, and occafionally at the chapel in Tottenham-court-road, and other methodistical conventicles.

The Enquirer having taken fome pains to examine into the principles of that curious vehicle of nonfenfe and fchifm, the Evangelical Magazine, Mr. Parfons enters into a defence of it; and well he may, when he is one of the doers of that publication. He fays, that "the materials of this periodical publication are fupplied by CHURCHMEN and NON-CONFORMISTS its profits, as may be feen by the half-yearly distributions, are applied to the needy widows of the clergy, without refpect of denomįnation; and for their fakes, I am peculiarly happy to inform a charitable public, upon good authority, that its monthly circulation exceeds 10,000

numbers."

This paragraph deferves fome particular notice.

1. It is too true that fome clergymen of the Church of England, to their eternal difgrace, are concerned in that work; the very tendency of which is to undermine the foundations of that Church. While they are eating the bread of the Establishment, they are affociating with her inveterate enemies, and leaving their own flocks, are proud to fit at the head of an heterogeneous board, affembled for the exprefs purpofe of diffeminating fchifm throughout the land! Alas! what is become of our Church-difcipline!

2. With regard to the bpafted diftribution of the profits of this famed mifcellany, we should be glad to know, whether the poor widow of an

humble

humble curate, ftands an equal chance of gaining the paltry pittance of five pounds, with the widow of a felf-created methodist preacher! We have run over these pompous lifts oftener than once, but rarely, very rarely, have we feen the initials of a widow of a clergyman. But farther, if the fale of the magazine is fo great as is pretended, we afk what becomes of the remainder of the profits? for as we have not forgot the good old rules of Cocker, we can, without much trouble of calculation, prove, that upon the fale of a lefs number than 10,000, the profits (after deducting all expences) muft far exceed this boafted diftribution.

To this letter the Enquirer has condefcended to make a witty reply, and, indeed, we cannot help faying, that we could have wifhed the ingenious author had been lefs witty. Though the pompous ftile and af fected humour of the letter writer may, in fome meafure, plead an excufe for fome fportive fallies, yet, perhaps, a more fober, and difpaffionate confideration of the fubject, would have been likely to produce more good. The Enquirer, however, has blended fome ftrong facts to prove the main pofition, with his drollery, and while we have been entertained with his pleafantry, we have also been convinced, that the preponderance of the argument refts entirely on his fide. The prevalence of methodifm, in Yorkshire, may be gueifed at, from this ftatement of the fums annually fubfcribed at four places, for the fupport of their preachers:

"At Wakefield, 500l.-At Halifax, 6001.-At Bradford, 4001.-And at Leeds, the emporium, 1000l."

MEMOIRS OF JOHN BACON, Esa. R. A. By R. CECIL, A. M. (Concluded from page 216. Vol. II.)

HAVING given a fketch of the life of this great feulptor, Mr. Cecil

next proceeds to delineate his character, which, upon the whole, exhibits many traits both amiable and captivating.-Generous encouragement of dawning merit, affectionate regard for the welfare and reputation of thofe of his own profeffion, inviolable regard to the caufe of juftice and truth, besides the fincereft attachment to his relatives and friends, were ftriking features ftrongly pourtrayed in the mind of Mr. Bacon; whofe modeft diffidence of his own merit, enhanced its real value.-Few will deny, that as an artist, he poffeffed confiderable abilities.-His works in Westminster-abbey, rank him amongst the firft of his profeflion.-The monument of Lord Chatham alone, would immortalize his name.—As a man, we find him, from the account before us, to have been strictly religious. Perhaps of that caft which fome may difapprove of. The religion of Jefus Chrift was certainly never intended to throw a gloom over the countenance of its profeffors, nor to embitter the enjoyments of life, Nor do we think, that Christianity excludes the ufe of reafon.

The letters written to Mifs Bacon, by her father, and anexed to this account, might have been left out, without doing injury to the memory of the author of them.

The zeal of friendship often exceeds the bounds of propriety, and private letters, which were thought unworthy of publication during the lifetime of the writer of them, ought not to have been exhibited to the public

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