ety; to open the floodgates of hell; make men disloyal, to curse God and their King &c. &c. hv

Zealous in the cause of our God, strenuous in the support of his laws, jealous of his honour, and firm in our attachment to his religion, we look with a suspicious eye on whatever bears the appearance of an infringement on his rights, upon every thing that tends in the smallest degree to lessen the reverence, or detract from the honour due unto his name. But we contend, that the practice in question has no such tendency, when the circumstances under which it is adopted are taken into consideration.

Were the title of this little book omitted, we should have considered its object to have been rather an earnest exhortation to the due observance of the Sabbath Day, and an enumeration of the curses denounced against offenders, than what it professes to be, viz. " a consideration of the impiety and impolicy of Sunday Drill, and the pointing out of a more excellent way,' in a line of conduct more becoming Britons, at least those of them who have any pretensions to the name of Christian."

We have examined with considerable attention every page of the present tract, and we have not been able to discover the least foundation, not any one plausible ground upon which the Author's remarks can be justified; but it is a continued railing at the Government, the bench of Bishops, and Mr. Pitt, for permitting the horrid sin of Sabbath-breaking, Argument there is none; proof there is none; and the bare repetition of assertions, that the exercising of men on Sunday is grossly impious, unaided by argument, and unsupported by proof, cannot possibly bring conviction home to the mind of any man who will make use of his reason and understanding,

Thus

1

Thus much for the impiety of it; as to its impolicy we are left of ourselves to draw the conclusion, that because it is impious, it is impolitic; and having completely failed in shewing its impiety, its impolicy is consequently of itself disproved. Having said this, it is perhaps hardly necessary to enter into a minute examination. We shall therefore content ourselves with exposing the fallacy of one of his assertions.-In page 10 he says "necessity was never urged, nay the lawfulness of the thing seemed taken for granted, and the practice of our forefathers insisted upon as a precedent".-The very reverse of this is the fact: for necessity is the only ground upon which it ever was, or ever can be sustained; and as he makes the objection that necessity was never urged, we cons clude he will agree with us, that if necessary it is lawful. ---And what objection can he have to the authority of precedent? We know not of any, and we therefore are not aware what objection he will take to the following1 Mac. cap. 2. ver. 41. "Whosoever shall come to make battle with us on the Sabbath Day we will fight against him, neither will we die all." Thus did the Jews form their resolution to resist the attacks of their enemies, and thus have we resolved to prepare ourselves to resist that foe who now threatens us with invasion; in full confidence, that if we put our trust in the assistance of the Most High, He will be our protector, our supporter, and deliverer. We know not in what respect the character of a soldier is at variance with that of a Christian, and he who, conscientiously discharging his duties as a Christian, adds to them also the instructing himself in the use of arms to defend his King, his country, and his religion, from that enemy which "fears not God, neither regards man" we hope, we trust, we confidently believe,

that

that he will not hereafter fail to receive a just recom= pence and reward for his labour.

The first paragraph in this publication contains a well timed and judicious remark, and we consider it as a proper rebuke to the publishers of what are called Patriotic Papers, some of which are highly offensive and deserving of the severest censure.

Every Christian who has paid any attention to the present state of our country, and the measures resorted to by many well-wishers to her interest, in order to call forth the energies of the people, must be struck with the spirit of impiety which characterises many of those effusions of the press under the form of Addresses, Dialogues, Songs, Caricature Prints, &c.

Well would it have been if the publication had begun and ended here-with this single exception we consider this production as very unsatisfactory and extremely objectionable; but as "charity thinketh no evil", we will not be so ungenerous as to suppose that these remarks proceeded from any bad, nay, that they did not proceed from the very best intentions; the author has erred in judgment, not in will.--The mistake into which he has fallen is a very common one-In his great reverence for the observance of the Sabbath-he, with many others, appears to have forgotten, what we therefore wish to impress upon his attention, and which, if well considered, will in a great measure convince him how erroneous some of his opinions are, that after all that can be said upon the subject "the Sabbath was made for man, and net

man for the Sabbath."

Goliah Slain, and the Philistines put to Flight. A Sermon preached at Cirencester, by the Rev. John Bulman.

WE

E have received considerable satisfaction from the perusal of this Discourse. The main object of the preacher is evidently, to fix on the minds of this nation at large, a fear of God, and a reliance on his support.--He impresses upon us the great importance of the recollection, that the present contest is unlike all those in which we have hitherto been engaged, not a war for power, dominion, or extent of territory, but a glorious struggle for our very existence, for every thing that is dear and sacred to us as Englishmen and as Christians. He most truly represents this nation as now defending the cause of religion, as making the grand trial whether it shall any longer be known in this quarter of the globe. Such being the present principle of action, he calls upon us, and charges us in the most earnest manner, to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might,-assuring us, that a firm reliance on God, and sure confidence in his protection, will be our greatest encouragement and support in the day of battle. His observation on this point is extremely just, and well worthy of serious attention.

"In my opinion the most undaunted and irresistible courage is that which religion inspires. And in the present perilous conjuncture, when the alarm is given that the enemy approaches, if there should be any misgiving hearts or trembling knees among you, I am much mistaken, if they are found to be of those who go forth in the name of the Lord; for they who truly fear Him know no other fear.-p. 16.

"Wherefore amidst all these preparations and exertions for defensive war, and discomfiture of the invading foe, let us never forget to recommend ourselves to the Divine Favour, by our moral and religious conduct towards him who is the giver of all victory. It is he who strengthens the soldier's heart;-It is he who nerves his arin; It is he who covers his head in the day of Vol. VI. Churchm. Mag. Feb. 1804. battle;

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battle: and it is he also who smites a host with suspicions, jealousies, panic fears, mutiny, and shameful flight; according to the purpose of his righteous will.

"Could we but be persuaded to go forth in the name of the Lord as we ought to do; which in other words, is to walk in his commandments, we should have nothing to fear from a world in arms against us.

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Why then will we not in mercy and security to ourselves resolve to do what he requireth of us? Why will we not profit by the occasion of this day's solemnity, and no longer give occasion for the enemy to blaspheme? If any there be who assert that our assembling here is nothing for the better-If any there be who say that these public solemnities are only days of hypocrisy,→→ If any there be who consider them merely as engines of state-policy, If there be any who say that by their frequent recurrence they have degenerated into insipid formalities, and are become inefficacious as to the end proposed by them; let us stop the mouth of slander, at least, as far as the influence of our example may go; by a serious reflection upon our past conduct, and a holy resolution to put away from us every accursed thing; which is to say, every evil habit that our conscience can charge us with. Thus would the purpose of this solemnity be fully answered on our part, and thus might our conduct become an example of imitation, to others."-p. 17.

Throughout the whole of this Discourse, "he proceeds upon the supposition, that all to whom he addresses himself acknowledge the destiny of nations to be under the direction of a superintending Providence, that is, that we ascribe not all events that happen below, to fortune, chance, necessity--words without meaning, and sounds without sense."-The style in which it is written` is in many parts quaint and unpleasing; his language is sometimes too redundant, at others too familiar; but these objections are trifling when put in competition with the merits of this discourse, and the anxious zeal which he evinces throughout for the prosperity of the cause in which we are all embarked is very meritorious, and demands our warm acknowledgements.

POETRY.