so, on the other hand, many Calvinists (who constitute a large proportion of the pious clergy) have little toleration for the Arminians. It is forgotten that Arminius and Calvin were agreed upon what should be esteemed the essentials in Religion; that the evangelical Arminian holds no sort of alliance with the Pelagian or Arian; that he builds on the same rock with the Calvinist-salvation by grace through faith, and that faith the gift of God. We ourselves have listened to sweeping censures upon the subject, which ill became the followers of that Master who maketh men to be of one mind in a house." May the lamp of an almost extinguished charity be kindled over the ashes of Mr. Newton; may Arminians learn from him, how to reverence the creed of their opponents; and Calvinists, how to adorn their own.

A fourth quality which characterizes the writings of this author, is affection. Mr. N. was such a Christian, as we could suppose formed by the preaching of St. John, or by the constant study of his Epistles. He seems fully to have acted under the influence of that principle, If a man dove not his brother, whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen'? Evidences of the prevalence of this spirit of affection, meet the reader at every page. In his sermons, we see the father counselling his children, or the shepherd guiding his sheep. There is no letter, even to his ordinary friends, which is not more or less warmed by the rays of his affection. And perhaps genuine feeling scarcely ever found more ardent language, than that employed in the letters to his wife. It is this property in the mind of Mr. N. which endeared him to his people while living, and which embalms his memory when dead. Whether in the exercise of their public functions, or in the discharge of their domestic duties, love should preside in the conduct of the ministers of Christ. As to public instruction, it is probably true, as Cowper says, that very few men are scolded into Christianity. Or, if rougher instructions sometimes prevail, still it is unquestionable, that, on the whole, souls are oftener won, than driven. And as in public life it is the great instrument of success, so in domestic life it is the chief ornament of Christian profession. We have sometimes been disposed to think, that there is a tendency, in certain religious circles, to mix up a sort of stoicism with their Christianity. In order to fit the mind for religion, it is thought necessary to extirpate every thing human in it. The love of the brethren is thought an encroachment upon the love of God; or, if any love to mankind is received, it is a sort of circumference without a centre, a love which embraces the species without regarding the individual. It is forgotten, on this hypothesis, that, as human beings, every

thing that is human ought to be dear to us; that Christians, in this respect, are men of like passions with others; that Christ himself wept for Lazarus, and that one disciple is particularized, whom Jesus loved.'

It is in this light that the letters of Mr. N. to his wife, (however ill some of them may be calculated for a generat scrutiny) particularly delight us. We rejoice to see an example, where religion is employed, not to annihilate, but to regulate the affections; where the laborious fulfilment of public duties is not esteemed a discharge in full for the petty offices of affection; and where the best Christian appears to be equally distinguished as the warmest friend, and as the tenderest husband.

Before concluding what we have to say in commendation of these volumes, we must add something in praise of the style in which they are written. We are happy in being able to fortify our feeble applause by the approbation of the poet Cowper; who, in more than one of his letters, bestows the highest praise upon it. To be thus commended, is indeed “laudari a laudato viro:" for we question whether, since the days of Addison, any writer has arisen, a more complete master of the polite, courtly, pure, and fluent style, than the Au thor of "the Task.' 99 Mr. N.'s style is certainly by no means equal to that of Cowper. It wants his precision, his imagery, and his refinement; it is disfigured, (and if we may so say) sectarized, by an admixture of party phrases; but still it is simple, luminous, fluent, and unaffect

ed.

Let his short specimen of Ecclesiastical History be compared with the learned, pious, and accurate, but ill written history of Milner; and we conceive that almost every reader will think that the last imperfectly supplies the chasm left in literature by the unfinished work of our author. It is probable, indeed, that his reading was not sufficiently extensive to have pursued his task, after the canon of scripture deserted him; but so far as style is concerned, we imagine that few men could have discharged the office of an ecclesiastical historian with greater success.

After this statement, we think ourselves warranted in say ing, that the writings of Mr. N. have claims to more than ephemeral reputation. And if they ought to live after him, they probably will; we have therefore little doubt, that as long as a taste for serious religion, and for pure and simple composition prevails, his works will not want readers. But having this done justice to his merits, we think it due to our readers and ourselves, to state candidly what we conceive to be drawbacks from the commendation already bestowed. And here we shall, as before, first touch upon the character and prin

ナ

ciples of the author, as generally exhibited in these volumes; and then make a few additional observations upon his style.

1

In the first place, then, we are not sure that there is not occasionally something of an enthusiastic cast in the volumes before us. For instance, we think Mr. N. had a somewhat more definite belief in the agency and superintendance of invisible agents, than the Scriptures appear to sanction. Neither did he, we conceive, sufficiently distinguish between the operation of the Spirit in these days, and in the ara of miracles. A dream had for him almost the same authority that it had for St. Paul, who lived in the days of wonders, in days when God in a variety of ways conversed with man.' That evidence for the truth of Christianity, which originates in the persuasion that its principles have changed us, is sometimes stated by him to be stronger than that which arises from any other source. There is, besides, a more frequent introduction of the word mystery, as applied to religion, than we can thoroughly approve. We apprehend that there is a strong tendency in the mind to mistake its own conceits in religion, and indeed sometimes its own errors, for the evidence of superior illumination from heaven. And we are not sure that the author does not occasionally betray symptoms of this infirmity.

The ardour of mind by which Mr. N. was characterized, is the source of these errors; and perhaps the one is scarcely ever to be found wholly unalloyed by the other. For ourselves, we feel little disposed to be harsh critics of those faults in diction and sentiment, into which the energy of an ardent mind is apt to betray it. In works of taste, we are richly paid for the trifling inaccuracy and intemperance, which usually accompany the sallies of unbridled genius. And in religion, when the error is not capital, similar allowances must be made. These observations, however, are designed, not to unsay, but to qualify, the blame we have intimated.

(

In the next place, we esteem it a considerable drawback on the merits of Mr. N. as a divine, that he is not always sufficiently careful of the tendency of his statements and reasonings. It is, for instance, the constant practice of the Scriptures, so to couple faith' with works,' that the most careless readers can scarcely ever fail to discover that the one is the only satisfactory evidence of the other.. Our author, on the contrary, not from a disregard to works, (for no writer can more imperatively press their necessity) but from his eagerness to lay the foundation, sometimes finds neither time nor place to describe the superstructure. It is also the method of Scripture, we conceive, not indeed to limit the ope

rations of divine grace, but to promise it to the use of certain means, and to press the use of these means with proportional solicitude. Some of the writings of our author, on the contrary, and particularly his Memoirs,' have, we fear, a tendency to inculcate that lazy species of religion, which expects the end, without employing the means. Again, according to our views of the Scripture, it estimates growth in grace more by outward improve. ment than by inward experience, or at least never separates the two. The author, on the contrary, even in his three* celebrated letters on the subject, appears to reverse the rule. Our objection to the claims of B. would be, that the world would neither see nor feel that he is better than A.

Now, although it is certainly a mitigation of faults such as these, that, if committed in one part of a work, they are corrected in another; although it is an arduous task never to advance positions without their proper guards; although it is next to impossible continually to recur to our first principles, still much vigilance is to be exercised upon these points. The caution of the Scriptures, in universally linking conduct to principle, must be imitated. It must be remembered that there is a tendency in men, to put names for things, to mistake a belief in conversion for conversion itself, and a belief in repentance for reformation.

Our only remaining objection is of less importance. It is to the repetition of matter and argument contained in these volumes. Our former commendation of Mr. N.'s independence and originality of thought must be received with some qualification. An author should think as long as he writes, and should read as well as think. Now in both these duties we conceive Mr. Newton to have been deficient. He did not indeed borrow his first notions on divinity, from any school or individual; but he soon began, we apprehend, to borrow from himself. Having once thought and decided upon a particular topic, he seems to have deemed his literary duty discharged; and the reader is condemned afterwards to hear the same opinion justified, or exposed, in the same words. This is particularly the case in the Letters: and though it should be contended that variety is not essential in letters addressed to different individuals, this provides no apology for presenting them all, by publication, to the eyes of the same individual. His Sermons also are liable to this objection. The same idea recurs perpetually in different disOne sentiment is sure to be followed by the same train of sentiments; so that he who sees the first, might, without prophecy, announce the last.

courses.

* Grace in the ear, blade, &c.

But Mr. N. not only ceased to think too soon; he appears never to have read enough. In his Memoirs, and other parts of his writings, he often speaks too contemptuously of human literature. He appears himself (and he is said by his Biographer, *) to have made little preparation for the pulpit; and to have sanctioned the same negligence in others. In our view, this is a capital error. There was a period in Christianity, indeed, when it was promised to its preachers, that God would give them what they should say ; but if this be urged as an apology for indolence, let it be remembered, that, at the same period, they were directed also to take neither purse nor scrip. If therefore men appropriate one part of the text to themselves, they should the other; and be as little anxious to provide themselves food and clothes, as they are to procure themselves learning. The resemblance of their case to that of the apostles in this respect, however, is not in general so readily perceived. On the whole, in an enlightened age, it behoves the ministers of the Gospel, to fight the battles of Christianity with weapons wrought to as high a polish, as those in the hands of their adversaries. Learning is not to be substituted for religion. Paul is not to be forgotten in our zeal for Plato. Quotations are not, as in the old English divines, to be mustered for parade, but for duty. Whatever aid letters can lend to religion, she is not ashamed to borrow. The acquisitions of every age are to be laid at her feet, and to assist her cause. Wisdom should plant,' and industry water,' if God is to give the increase.'

Having offered these general observations on the works of Mr. N., the length, to which our critique has already extended, will admit of our subjoining only a few remarks on the sixth volume. It consists of letters intended as a sequel to Cardiphonia; of papers extracted according to Mr. N.'s direction from periodical publications, and of a copious index to the whole work.

Of the Letters, perhaps it is sufficient to say, that they are scarcely inferior to those with which the public are already familiar. The letters to **** **** will be read with peculiar interest, as addressed (we conceive) to the poet Cowper; and they supply a chasm, which every reader of Hayley's Life of the poet has lamented. These letters would certainly suffer, in comparison with those of Cowper; but then, what letters would not? It is applause which might content any moderate man, and would we are persuaded satisfy Mr. N., that he has caught more of the mantle of the ascended prophet, that * Vide Cecil's Memoirs.