520 Review Review Morell's Elements of the History of Philosophy. the class in point of estimation; a station which he supported throughout, and which was fully authenticated at the last, by the highest prize being assigned to him for those anonymous compositions which are submitted to my own judgment, and among which I decide the relative and respective merits, without any knowledge of their authors. For several months, I only recognized him as a person of fine taste and lofty intellect; which, teeming forth, as they did, from one who had not yet terminated his boyhood, gave the indication and the promise of something quite superlative in future life. It was not till after I had for a time admired his capacities for science, that I knew him as the object of a far higher admiration, for his deep and devoted sacred ness. It was in the second session of my acquaintance with him, that I devolved upon him the care of a Sabbath-school which I had formed. In the conduct of this little seminary, he displayed a tact and a talent which were quite admirable, and I felt myself far outrun by him, in the power of kind and impressive communication, and in that faculty by which he commanded the interest of the pupils, and could gain, at all times, the entire sympathy of their understanding. Indeed, all his endowments, whether of the head or of the heart, were in the best possible keeping. For example-he was alike literary and mathematical, andcombined the utmost beauty of composition with the rigour and precision of the exact sciences. But his crowning excellence was his piety that virtue, which matured him so early for heaven, and bore him in triumph from that earth on which he hath so briefly sojourned. This religious spirit gave a certain ethereal hue to all his college exhibitions. He had the amplitude of genius, but none of its irregularities. There was no shooting forth of mind in one direction, so as to give a prominency to certain acquisitions, by which to overshadow, or to leave behind, the other acquisitions of his educational course. He was neither a mere geometer, nor a mere linguist, nor a mere metaphysician; he was all put together; alike distinguished by the fulness and the harmony of his powers. I leave to you, Sir, the narrative of his higher characteristics. I have spoken, and fully spoken, of the attainments of his philosophy to you it belongs to speak of the sublimer attainments of his faith. Had I needed aught to reconcile me to the transition which I have made, from the state of a Pastor to that of a Professor, it would just be the successive presentation, year after year, of such students as John Urquhart; nor, in giving up the direct work of a Christian minister, can I regret the station to which Providence has translated me, at one of the fountain heads of the Christian ministry in our land. Yours, very truly, THOMAS CHALMERS." The last paragraph of this admirable letter we have read with great concern. Query- After all, has not this great and good man degraded himself by the transition he has made "from the state of a Pastor to that of a Professor," and "in giving up the direct work of a Christian minister?" Elements of the History of Philosophy and Science, from the earliest authentic Records to the commencement of the Eighteenth Century. By THOMAS MORELL, Author of Studies on History, &c. Holdsworth. 12s. WE have read this concise and comprehensive work with the highest gratification, and cannot but anticipate its being very popular in our most respectable seminaries of education through the kingdom. The esteemed author must have bestowed upon it immense labour, and certainly has executed his task with judgment, taste, and elegance. The wide extent of his plan, the lucid arrangement of all the parts, with the chaste, correct, and precise style he has adopted, render it a very pleasant publication. While, in the first part, we review the puerilities, the frivolous distinctions, the groping blindness, the wild vagaries, and gross absurdities of the ancient phi losophers, we are reminded of the orae-" Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." Oh, how should we prize the Christian Revelation! cular sentence ed with a thousand curious and wonderIn the second part, we are entertainful things. Who that loves Christ can forbear exclaiming, “Oh, that every mind that is strengthened, and sharpened, and polished by all this philosophy and science, were employed in glorifying God, and promoting the salvation of men!", Mr. Morell has made a very judicious use of Enfield's Abridgement of Brucker, The Union Collection of Hymns and Sa and of the writings of Playfair, Stewart, and others; but he evidently writes out of his own mind. His book, also, we would not forget to say, has the advantage of being very correctly printed. cred Odes, additional to the Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts: adapted to the use of the Church and the Social Circle, the Family and the Closet. Holdsworth: St. Paul's Church-yard. 1827. Price 5s. 6d. WE might have probably concluded that Our readers will be able to judge of the writer's sentiments, spirit, and style,« Union" in this title than that "Hymns no more was intended by the epithet if we extract his concluding paragraph. and Sacred Odes" were here found in "The retrospect which has been taken of Union; but from the preface of Mr. J. the progress of human knowledge, in the Curtis, we learn that hymns on Baptism two great departments of physical and intellectual science, might naturally suggest are not inserted because Baptists and to the mind a great variety of important Independents may use the same hymnreflections. The writer will not, however, book! But the compiler shall tell his prolong a work, already far too extended own candid tale :-"The few hymns on for an elementary treatise, by any lengthen- baptism, in harmony with the views of he is persuaded that an attentive perusal of Baptists, and of Pædobaptists, the use the preceding pages can scarcely fail to of which is comparatively of very unhave produced a conviction of those great frequent occurrence, may advantagemoral truths, which he is most anxious to ously form, for each community a sepaimpress on the minds of youth-a convic-rate publication. This mode of accomtion founded, not on human opinion merely, modation will imply no unworthy con ed train of observations; and the rather, as but on the evidence of facts: that the causes which have operated, in all preceding ages, cession-no unchristian sacrifice: and to perpetuate ignorance, or to impede the on these principles, such compositions progress of knowledge, were, either an un-are excluded from this collection, in due deference to human authorities, or a the hope of promoting the increased disposition to speculate without evidence; that every solid and valuable attainment, fellowship of those Christians, who, in and even the most stupendous discoveries, every particular of moral obedience can are to be attributed to the rigid adherence cordially co-operate; and of advancing of those by whom they were made to the the general extension of that Union, processes of induction and experiment; among the followers of the Redeemer, that, great as have been the attainments and which forms so distinguishing and so discoveries of past ages, and mighty the powers of genius by which they were achiev-lovely a feature of the present state of ed, there is no reason to imagine that nothe Church." thing further is to be expected; for whoever The volume consists of 786 "Hymns pursues the track of inquiry marked out in and Sacred Odes:" many of them are the present volume, and takes a survey of not at all adapted to public worship. the history of science subsequently to the period at which this review terminates, will The names too of a few of the authors perceive that there are vast regions yet un- would spoil our singing! Some of whom explored, and still greater developments to appear to us as having missed their be anticipated, as the reward of diligent in- proper company when found among vestigation in future ages;-and, finally, writers of "Sacred Odes for the use of that on account of the present limitation of our faculties, and the necessary imperfection the Church." We shall be greatly surof our knowledge, it becomes us to pursue prized if this book should ever be exour investigations into the hidden processes tensively used either by Baptist or Inof nature, and still more into the profound dependent congregations: it may be mysteries of revelation, with a bumble and profitably used either in the closet or in devout mind; earnestly imploring divine the family. instruction, and joyfully anticipating the period, when that which is perfect shall come, and that which is in part shall be done away.'" p. 408. LITERARY RECORD. New Publications. 1. The Morning of the English Church; or the Lives of its Early Reformers, containing those of Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley, and Hooper. 2. The Harbingers of the Reformation, or a Biographical Sketch of Wickliffe, Huss, and Jerome. 3. The Lives of Clemens Romanus, Ignatius, and Polycarp. By the author of Sa lome. 4. Babylon Destroyed, or the History of the Empire of Assyria: compiled from Rollin, Prideaux, &c. &c. 5. The City of the Sun. A patriarchal | tale. By the author of the Christian Martyr. Edinburgh Oliphant. In the Press, &c. Original Letters of Dr. Doddridge. We have received the following communication from Mr. Upcott, which we readily insert: Sir,-You will oblige me by communicating through your Magazine, to the religious world, that being in possession of a series of Original Letters of the celebrated Philip Doddridge, which I intend to publish the ensuing season; and desirous to enlarge and perfect as far as possible this very in The two first works, designed for the "Popular Library," are the productions of the same Author. From a well written introductory sketch to the first of these volumes, we had anticipated some new account of the Morning of the English Church," when alas! we were told, that "the series of Lives are printed verbatim from the work of Rolt, to which," it is add-teresting collection, I shall feel grateful to ed, "we have taken the liberty to append a few notes of illustration for the convenience and information of the reader." If by the phrase "the English Church," is meant the Established Protestant church, then it might be proper to call Cranmer, and Latimer, and Ridley, and Hooper its early reformers. But there were reformers of a more early date, to whom these owed much of their light, if not all: these were Tyndall, and Frith, and Barnes, and Hierome. Tyndall had taught the people by his writings, before Cranmer was known, that the Scriptures alone were to be appealed to in all matters of dispute in regard to religion and morality, and that these were to be understood in their literal meaning. Cranmer had adopted these principles while at Cambridge, and the proposal which he made to Gardiner and Fox, respecting 'the King's divorce, was founded upon them, viz. that the King should propose to leave the question to be decided by the Scriptures, instead of the Pope, and that an appeal should be made to the Universities of Europe, as to what was the law of the Scriptures, on the subject of a man's marrying his brother's wife, &c. There is still wanting a history of the English Reformation, not as confined to the events of the Established English Church, but as extending to all parts of the Church of Christ in England. Such a bis any of your numerous readers holding documents of the same kind, of sufficient interest for publication, who may favour me with the Loan or with Copies of them. In the former case every care shall be taken in transcribing them, as well as for their safe return with the acknowledgement of, Sir, your obedient, &c. W. UPCOTT. London Institution, Finsbury Circus. Mr. Ivimey has his fourth volume in the Press, of a History of the English Baptists. If any of his brethren, who have not communicated accounts of their respective Churches, wish to do so, they will have the kindness to send immediately (if possible post paid) to the publishers. The Antidote; or Memoirs of a Modern Freethinker: including Letters and Conversations on Scepticism and the Evidences of Christianity. The Rev. John Whitridge is preparing for immediate publication, in a very neat 18mo. price 2s. for the year 1828, a Scripture Diary; or Christian Almanack: comprising a Chronological Arrangement of the Holy Scriptures in Daily Portions, for reading the whole Bible within the Year; together with the Festivals of the Jews, and some Events of Sacred History-Selections of Ecclesiastical Literature Notices of Biblical Publications, &c. &c. OBITUARY. guilt and distress of mind. Then I thought my sins were too great to be forgiven. I purchased a small pocket Bible, that when I had a few minutes' leisure I might take it out and read. It became very sweet to me. My views were in a little time entirely changed. What formerly gave me pleasure, became my aversion. I dreaded deception, and prayed for sincerity. I soon became so absorbed in the best things, that I could relish nothing else. Instead of singing songs, of which I had cious hymns to memory, and was often singing them with great delight, while employed in domestic concerns.' MRS. H. F. SHEAD. MRS. HANNAH FRANCES SHEAD was born at Colchester, Feb. 16, 1760, and died at Ilford, March 18, 1827, aged 67 years. Her grandfather, Mr. John Rootsey, was many years pastor of the Baptist Church at Colchester, and her father, Mr. Samuel Rootsey, was proprietor of the oil mills in that town, and was highly and deservedly respected in the church and the neighbourhood. Being favoured with respectable and pious parents, she was trained to habits of industry, sobriety, the strict observ-been very fond, I committed some preance of the Lord's day, and a regular attendance on the faithful ministry of Mr. Thomas Eisdell, who was at that time pastor of the church. But she did When Mr. Thomas Stevens settled at not remember receiving any serious im- Colchester, she became much attached pressions of mind till after his death, to his ministry, and was baptized and which occurred when she was about added to the church, July 18, 1776, of twelve years of age. During the wi- which she continued an honourable and dowhood of the church, four neighbour-respected member till she was dismissed ing ministers united in supplying them to the church at Ilford, in 1809. After with a lecture on a Wednesday after- her marriage, she resided a few years at noon, which was continued for several Dorking, in Surrey, from whence she years. Mr. John Hitchcock, of Watti- removed to London, where for several sham, was one of the preachers, and years she attended the preaching of his first sermon, on Psalm lxxxix. 15. the venerable Abraham Booth, by whose made some favourable impressions on ministry she was greatly edified, and her mind. These were deepened shortly has often been heard to refer to it with after, by a speech at the grave and a peculiar satisfaction. funeral sermon, by the same minister. through many painful changes, both at Alluding to these things, she says, "I Dorking and in London, she became a suppose I was not thirteen years of age. widow, and returned to Colchester, to I thought I never heard any body preach nurse and to close the eyes of a beloved so forcibly. I was also much impressed mother; from whence she removed to with the solemnity of his prayer. But Ilford, where she resided for about my mind was as dark as midnight: I twenty years, and where she finished saw not the beauty of the Gospel; I her course with joy. feared death, and became uneasy; what During this last period of her life, I I had heard at the mouth of the grave have enjoyed an intimate acquaintance thrilled in my ears; I became thought- with her, for she was one of those few ful, and attempted to pray, but my church members who must be acquainted prayers seemed so poor that I often with the minister, and with all that rethought it could be of no use for me to lates to the interest with which they are continue them; they must be an abomi- associated, and it would be well for nation in the sight of God. I some-ministers and churches, if all their intitimes omitted them: this brought great mate friends and active members were After passing equally pious, prudent, and zealous. more throughly established in them. There are many individuals now living Her prudence was generally admired. at Ilford, Colchester, Ipswich, London, No one who knew her, was afraid to and various other places, who, from trust her with a secret; yet she was no personal and long acquaintance with the busysbody in other people's matters. deceased, can testify that, by the grace Her liberality was almost beyond her of God, she was one of the "excellent means. She certainly denied herself of of the earth," whose disposition and what some would consider necessaries, conduct should be exhibited for imita- that she might taste the luxury of doing tion in our churches, with the exception good. Her little attentions to many of of one false step, that of being unequally the poorer members of the church have yoked, 2 Cor. vi. 14.; a circumstance embalmed her name in their memories, which, however it might be brought and she left, by will, five pounds, to be about, she deeply deplored, and affec- distributed among them after her detionately cautioned others against imi- cease, as an expression of her kind tating such examples. Her piety was feeling towards them. Meekness and not doubtful: not a member in the gentleness were as conspicuous in her church, or a person in the neighbour- character, as in any with whom I have hood, has ever been heard to express ever been acquainted. In pointing out a doubt on the subject. All are agreed an evil, she would not increase it. In that Mrs. Shead was one of the best of reproving sin, she provoked no resentwomen. Her sympathy with the afflict-ment, nor have I ever known her to ed was very remarkable. I may truly widen a breach, by professedly attemptsay, "she hath been a succourer of ing to heal it. Were a similar dispomany, and of myself also." Her regu-sition generally to prevail, discord and larity in attending the means of grace confusion would be banished from our was observed by all: whenever the churches. Her zeal and activity in prosanctuary doors were open for worship, moting the cause of Christ are not often if Mrs. Shead's place was empty, all equalled by private individuals. She concluded she was either seriously ill, felt a considerable interest in all huor engaged in some very important mane and Christian institutions, and work of mercy. All professing Chris- entered most heartily into the labours tians have not equal opportunities, but of our Missionary Association. many have who do not embrace them. must have declined by her removal, had She generally preserved a brief record she not previously stimulated several of of all the services she attended, in the young people to accompany her, and which she noted down the texts, the to go forward therein, when she was no hymns, the persons' names who prayed longer able to travel with them; and I or preached, and sometimes added the am persuaded that, if ever their hands heads of the discourse, or some remarks should grow slack, or their love wax concerning it. Her epistolary corre. cold to the sacred cause, the rememspondence was considerable, and she brance of Mrs. Shead will either warm found it an agreeable method of getting them or shame them. Her habitual good, and doing good, which those who spirituality of mind I most of all adhave leisure and talent will do well to mired. It was never difficult to introimitate. Her stability was evident, and duce and keep up spiritual conversation truly pleasing to behold. She was fa- with her, nor could I often call upon voured with a good understanding, and her without being entreated to spend a was neither tossed to and fro by con- little time in prayer. In short, we feel trary winds of doctrine, nor frightened that our little society is greatly impovefrom the path of duty by any carnal rished by her removal, but we still love calculations of consequences. Her to repeat her name to the praise of our course, therefore, was steady and de- Lord, whose grace so eminently shone cided. Her sentiments had been the in her whole deportment. same about fifty years, only she was This Her last affliction was neither long nor |